SPARKZ - Road Trip
by JayBeeZZ
Summary: Ever wonder what happened during those six months when star-crossed lovers Arcee and Jack Darby disappeared? Now the story can finally be told. A heartfelt thanks to my pal 80sGrimlock for the idea that ultimately led to this storyline.
1. Chapter 1 - MY FIRST TIME

_**SNRRKKK!**_

Arcee suddenly lunged forward, her clenched fists raised in a defensive posture. She rapidly blinked her luminous eyes as she looked around, searching intently for whatever terrible threat had made such a jarring noise.

She saw nothing but the peaceful night sky.

 _What in Primus' name WAS that…?!_

In answer to her unspoken question, the noise returned… _louder_ this time.

Arcee smiled and closed her eyes as she finally recognized the unexpected sound. She opened her eyes again and looked down, lovingly regarding the two men in her life as they both slept next to her. Little Orion snuffled and snuggled next to his father Jack Darby, who let loose with yet another earth-shaking snort. Arcee winced at the sound but couldn't help but smirk to herself.

… _and Jack accuses ME of snoring? By the AllSpark, he could wake Unicron with that racket…_

Arcee quickly realized there was very little likelihood of her returning to sleep, so she eased herself out of their shared sleeping blanket. Being careful not to wake her family, she fondly kissed Jack and Orion on their foreheads before standing to her feet. She stole a final adoring glance at them and then quietly made her way towards a flat outcropping of rock near the edge of their mountaintop retreat. Arcee sat down and sighed happily.

Somewhere in the distance a lone wolf began to howl at the moon. Arcee shivered involuntarily, the chill night air making her smooth metal skin tingle. She wrapped her slender arms about her body as she attempted to keep warm. Arcee suddenly felt an odd sense of _déjà vu_ as it flit about, teasing the outer edges of her memory. Unable to place the feeling she shook her head in slight frustration and looked up, gazing at the distant sea of stars. Instinctively she began to search for her home world of Cybertron.

Strangely Arcee found that she did not miss the planet of her creation nearly as much as she would have thought. She smiled contentedly, knowing that it didn't truly matter where she was so long as she was together with her family. As Jack had once remarked to her, _home is where the heart is._

The mere thought of her Sparkmate caused a tender smile to appear on Arcee's beautiful face as she thought about her beloved human and how far they had both come. So much had happened to them since the day they had first met, a relatively brief amount of time from Arcee's perspective. From the end of the Cybertronian War and the rebirth of Cybertron, to Optimus bequeathing the role of Prime to Jack Darby and the recent battle against the madness of the Fallen…their journey together through life had ultimately resulted in transforming the destinies of both their home worlds.

However, by far the most important change was the love that forever bound Jack and Arcee as _One._

Through their shared memories as Sparkmates, Arcee finally realized why everything seemed so hauntingly _familiar._ She breathed deeply, closing her eyes as she remembered back to when they had first came to this place…

…

Jack opened his eyes and smiled.

Arcee lay next to him, sleeping peacefully. Sighing happily, Jack propped his head up with his hand and silently watched his beloved Sparkmate as she slumbered.

 _Sparkmate._

During the years he had spent with his Autobot friends, Jack had only heard the word used rarely and even then in hushed tones. Hearing the reverence in their voices whenever they mentioned it, he had suspected that it held an extremely important role in Cybertronian culture. Until several hours ago, Jack realized he only had an inkling of just _how_ important.

Last night had been a _bona fide_ miracle of new discoveries and sensations for both Jack and Arcee…their first time for _many_ things. Jack shivered, his skin flushed slightly as the memories of their bonding came rushing back. His eyes caressed the beauty of Arcee's new body snuggled warmly next to his own.

It was then that Jack realized with some surprise that Arcee was actually _asleep._ When the Matrix of Leadership had transformed their bodies, it had given her a new transformation…a third body that duplicated human physiology, apparently including the ability to fall asleep.

Jack speculated that maybe the ancient Primes had intended this to happen all along…a complete transformation into a new species. He remembered Optimus' words to them, that Jack and Arcee were destined to be the progenitors of a wondrous new race of beings…a new destiny of Primes.

Jack began to wonder at the ultimate ramifications of that when his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a startling sound.

Arcee _snored._

Jack lay back and stifled a chortle.

 _First I find out she snorts when she laughs and now this?_

Jack slowly slid out of their shared sleeping bag, being careful not to wake her. He slipped on a pair of shorts and stood as he faced the breathtaking sunrise. He breathed the brisk morning air deeply and contentedly.

He quietly made his way to his bag of hastily-packed supplies and took out a small mirror. Gazing at his reflection, Jack took another look at his eyes since he had bonded with Arcee. He closely examined the soft blue glow emanating from his irises…a telltale sign that he was now and forever Arcee's Sparkmate.

" _Heh…cool."_

He sighed suddenly, sadly remembering that his eyes weren't the only thing that had changed irrevocably. Since he had become one with the Matrix, the ancient wisdom of the Primes had whispered secrets to him…one being that he was now virtually _immortal._

At first he was excited, even elated by the fact that he would be able to remain by Arcee's side forever. Then the cruel truth came crashing down around him that he would also have to endure watching his loved ones on Earth all grow old and die, while he would remain perpetually young.

He buried these thoughts and tried his best to forget them, at least for now.

Still feeling somewhat melancholy, he searched through his bag and found his old harmonica. He brushed it off and held it up to reflect the light of the morning sun. He placed it to his lips and softly began to play.

A sad but hopeful melody began to echo around him, reaching into the surrounding valley below.

Arcee blinked and slowly opened her eyes.

" _Wh-what…?"_

Jack heard her voice and immediately stopped playing. He turned to face her.

Arcee squinted at the brilliant sunrise and murmured sleepily, "Why is it _daylight?_ The last thing I remember, we…we…"

As her words trailed off, Jack smiled and blushed.

Arcee giggled as she remembered, "Oh, yeah… _that."_

Jack self-consciously cleared his throat, saying, "I guess your new body is capable of a _lot_ of things, Arcee."

She cocked an eyebrow and asked, "What exactly do you mean…?"

Jack answered nonchalantly, "Well…for starters it looks like you're able to _sleep_ now."

" _Oh!_ Oh, I thought you were talking about…wait, is-is _that_ what that was?"

Jack nodded.

"Huh. My first time asleep…now that I think about it, it was sort of like being in _recharge mode,_ but…"

"Arcee…?"

"…but I seem to remember these weird images…"

Jack grinned, "Awesome…so you can _dream,_ too?"

Arcee was excited, _"AND my first dream…!"_

Jack asked, "Do…do you remember anything about it?"

She thought for a moment before answering, "It was pretty bizarre."

Jack smiled and sat down next to his Sparkmate, genuinely intrigued, "Tell me _everything."_

Her voice took on a distant quality as Arcee began to speak, "It began with a huge battle between two armies…"

"Between the Autobots and Decepticons, right…?"

Arcee shook her head, "You would _think_ so, but no. That's one of the first strange things I saw, Jack. It was actually a battle between two _human_ armies."

Jack said, _"Huh_. Interesting…"

Arcee went on, "At least I _think_ they were human. Some of the soldiers looked downright _weird._ One thing's for sure, though…both armies had some really impressive tech. They all began firing their weapons at each other. There were laser blasts and explosions everywhere, vehicles were being destroyed left and right…but for some reason nobody seemed to get _hurt."_

"Too bad that doesn't happen in reality."

"One of these soldiers, the _commander_ of the bad guys I believe…he definitely stood out in particular."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, for one thing he had a…a _mirror_ for a face, and you would not believe the _lisp_ he had. Another thing…I know it doesn't make sense, but for some reason he reminded me of _Starscream…"_

Jack blinked and slowly replied, _"O-okayyy…"_

Arcee saw the bemused look on his expression and said, "It gets crazier, Jack. All of a sudden both armies had to retreat to avoid being trampled by a stampede of these tiny little multicolored _horses…"_

"'Little…horses…'"

Arcee nodded excitedly, _"Hundreds_ of them."

Jack was dumbfounded, _"Scrap_ …a-anything else happen?"

" _Oh,_ yes. When the dust finally cleared, a _stage_ had appeared in the middle of the battlefield. On that stage there was a strange vehicle…almost Cybertronian in appearance. Suddenly it transformed…it was _me,_ Jack! Well, sort of…it didn't look _exactly_ like me, but somehow I knew that it _was."_

"What was different about you?"

"You wouldn't believe it, but I was _pink."_

Jack repeated, "Pink…?"

Arcee nodded, "Pink. I was bright pink from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet."

"That's…that's a lot of pink, Arcee."

"I _know,_ right?"

"I'm almost afraid to ask, but what happened _next…?"_

"I reached up and removed my helmet. It fell to the ground and it was then that I saw I had become a human woman with long flowing hair…!"

"Was it pink…?"

" _Hot_ pink…then four women appeared out of thin air, almost like my _Sadie_ hologram, and joined me on the stage. One of them handed me a microphone and I realized that we were about to perform in a _rock concert."_

Jack didn't say anything. He was beyond words at this point and merely nodded.

"I slowly brought the microphone to my lips and began to sing."

Jack managed to find his voice again and asked, "W-were you any _good…?"_

Arcee grinned, "Jack…I was _amazing._ Everywhere, as far as the eye could see, there were soldiers and little horses applauding. They were cheering and clapping…clopping… _whatever_ you want to call it. It was so noisy I couldn't hear myself _think."_

Arcee frowned suddenly, "I'm not certain, but I think some of the soldiers weren't too crazy about the music."

"What, they were _booing_ you…?"

"I'm not sure. They kept yelling, _"Ohhh, NO!"_ over and over. Then again, maybe they were saying something _else._ Like I said, it was hard to hear yourself think."

"Still…overall it sounds like you were a hit, Arcee."

"It was _outrageous,_ Jack…truly, truly outrageous."

Jack fell onto his back and stared up at the sky in a daze. He attempted to process all that Arcee had told him.

" _Wow._ I think you dreamt about the _Eighties,_ Arcee."

Confused, Arcee asked, _"What…?"_

Jack chuckled, "Never mind…it was before our time."

There was an awkward silence for a moment.

Jack watched Arcee as she stood to her feet, loosely draping a blanket around her body. Their eyes met.

"Jack, what was that you were playing earlier…?"

He shrugged, "Oh, I was just messing around with my harmonica, Arcee."

Arcee's steady gaze did not waver from Jack's.

"It was very beautiful, whatever it was."

Jack blinked, "Really? _Huh._ The song is from one of Miko's favorite TV shows from back home. I picked up the melody after listening to it a few times."

Arcee giggled, "You and your cartoons…what is this song called?"

"It's called _'The Scarlet Scarf.'_ I'm not totally sure because of the language barrier and all…but I think it's supposed to be about two lovers who had been separated, and how they held onto the hope they would be reunited one day. I…I guess it always made me think of _us."_

Arcee smiled shyly as she stepped closer to Jack and gave him an unmistakable look.

"Will you… _play_ it for me, Jack?"

Jack gulped when he saw how Arcee's lips caressed his name. His heart began to pound in this chest as he struggled to answer, only to discover his regular voice had been replaced with a high-pitched squeak. He cleared his throat and tried again, deliberately deepening his voice.

"I-I'd be glad to."

Arcee chuckled as she watched Jack's hands tremble slightly as he brought the harmonica up to his lips. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before beginning to play.

As the haunting melody began anew, Arcee sat silently and allowed the music to touch her inner spark. Her slender body unconsciously began to sway in time with the music, and glittering tears fell from her eyes as she was utterly overcome with emotion.

Finally the song ended.

Arcee drew in a deep, shuddering breath and whispered, _"Primus…th-that was…"_ She found that she did not have the words.

Jack beamed proudly, "And to think Miko still makes fun of me for playing the harmonica."

Arcee attempted to smile as she wiped away her tears, "There must be something about this place. _Look_ at me. I haven't cried so much in…in…"

She glanced suddenly at Jack who sat and smiled innocently. He patiently waited for her to continue.

Arcee smirked knowingly and finished, _"…in a very long time."_

Jack chuckled, "Almost _got_ you, Arcee. One of these days…"

Arcee huffed, "Not going to happen, Darby. I told you already…it's _not important._ You'll find out how old I really am when I'm good and ready."

Jack dropped the harmonica and was suddenly on his feet. He took Arcee into his arms and hungrily pressed his lips against hers. He then whispered into her ear, _"Are you ready now, Arcee…?"_

Her senses overwhelmed, Arcee murmured, _"J-Jack…"_

Hotly he breathed, "I haven't been able to stop thinking about last night…"

"You…you _haven't…?"_

"I can't get you out of my _mind,_ Arcee."

The blanket dropped and fell to the ground.

" _P-Primus,_ Jack…wh-what are you _doing_ to me…?"

"I thought that was _obvious,_ Arcee…"

"D-did the Matrix…t-teach…you _that…_ Jack…?"

"Nope…just good old Darby hands-on, Arcee…"

" _Ohhh, Jack …!"_

The perfect evening…followed by the perfect morning. For Sparkmates Arcee and Jack Darby, the afternoon looked _very_ promising.

…

Jack awoke to the cool night air. He groaned softly as he attempted to move. His body ached all over, but it was the best kind of ache. Jack smiled as his thoughts replayed the events of the last several hours.

 _Owww…if I die now, I die a happy man…_

He turned to face Arcee, startled to find her wide awake as she watched him with a contented gaze.

She grinned, "Hi…"

"H-hi, yourself…"

Once again Jack's breath was taken away by Arcee's otherworldly beauty. Her glowing eyes sparkled as they looked deeply into Jack's own luminous orbs. Her neon microfilament hair shimmered in the darkness as the evening breeze gently blew through the individual strands. An unexpected meteor shower traced glowing contrails across the night sky overhead and appeared to race its own reflection against Arcee's shining metal skin.

In absolute awe of all that she was, Jack whispered, _"Are…are you sure you aren't an angel…?"_

Arcee smiled and gently tousled Jack's hair, "Very sure, Jack. You're not so bad _yourself,_ my sexy little Sparkmate." She leaned over and kissed him fondly.

"H-how long have you been watching me?"

"About an hour…I could watch you sleep for _days."_

Jack gingerly sat up and stretched his sore limbs. He chuckled, "If that ever happened I'd either be dead or in a coma, Arcee…and _both_ of those are an extreme possibility after today's… _activities."_

Arcee's eyes gleamed as she practically _purred,_ "I must say, you're amazingly _durable,_ Jack…"

Jack arched his back and winced as he felt it _pop_ several times.

"…and you're _insatiable,_ Arcee. _Ow!"_

"Poor baby…want me to kiss it and make it better…?"

Jack briefly considered it before he felt yet another twinge.

"Arcee, the spirit is willing, but…"

"Don't worry, Jack. I was kidding _…mostly._ Just don't forget…you _did_ start it."

They both smiled and gazed lovingly into each other's shining eyes.

"So…" Arcee began.

"So…" Jack repeated.

"What now? Are you ready to return home, Jack?"

Jack smiled, "Home is where the heart is, Arcee…and _my_ heart is wherever _you_ are."

Arcee felt her inner spark burn bright as a star.

"If you keep saying things like that, I can't be held responsible for what might _happen,_ Jack."

"You know, Arcee…we actually don't have to go back anytime soon."

"We _don't…?"_

Jack grinned, "Nope."

He reached into his bag and produced a glossy plastic card.

"Agent Fowler handed me a federal credit card right before we left Cybertron. He told me not to go crazy with it, but to consider it as paid leave…kind of like an extended business vacation. You know, for helping to save the world and all…"

Arcee smiled, _"Hm_. That was very sweet of him. Well, in that case…it's _your_ planet, Jack. Where would you recommend we go first?"

Jack suddenly looked uncertain, "I…I'm not sure. It's funny…when you instantly ground-bridge from one place to another, it's easy to see the whole world but then you miss out on all the great places in between."

"Jack, are you suggesting…?"

"There's a lot of open road out there, Arcee. Why don't we see what we can find along the way?"

Arcee smiled, "A man after my own spark. As long as you're by my side, _Smooth Operator…"_

"…for forever and a day, Arcee. I _love_ you, y'know."

"With everything I am and everything I have…I love _you,_ Jack."

Jack blushed slightly and nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

" _Umm,_ Arcee…?"

"What is it, Jack?"

"Listen, before we say or do anything else…w-would you mind if…?"

" _Oh…?"_ She eyed Jack suspiciously.

Jack produced a cell phone and grinned sheepishly.

"She _worries,_ remember?"

Arcee shook her head and chuckled.

Jack quickly dialed a number and waited patiently for an answer. He didn't have to wait for long.

"H-hello, _Mom…?_ Hey, it's me. Yeah, I'm fine…we _both_ are. Sorry, what was that? _Arcee…?"_

Jack looked at the love of his life and grinned, "Arcee, she…she's just _perfect,_ Mom."

Arcee returned the smile, touched by the compliment.

They reached out to one another and held hands, gently lacing their fingers together as Jack continued to speak.

"Listen, Mom…? I have something _important_ to tell you. You may want to sit down for this…"


	2. Chapter 2 - A LITTLE TRICKY

" _Okay, I think the coast is clear…"_

A shadowy figure hunched over and attempted to huddle within a flimsy raincoat, fighting a valiant but rapidly losing struggle to keep dry in a fierce downpour. The freak storm had appeared out of nowhere, leaving little choice but to seek refuge in a slightly run-down inn with the ironic name of _End of the Road Motel._

Nervously looking around one final time, the figure firmly took the handlebars of a familiar sapphire motorcycle and pushed the bike through a nearby open door and eased it to a stop onto a pile of hastily-placed towels. The instant the door was closed and locked, the motorcycle underwent a miraculous transformation. Wearing her relatively new human-sized third body, Arcee pulled Jack Darby into a fervent embrace as her metallic lips covered his in a scorching kiss.

Jack murmured breathlessly between desperate kisses, "I-I thought…I'd go _crazy…_ if I had to spend…another _moment…_ away from you…Arcee…!"

Arcee nodded feverishly, her body trembling as they pressed their bodies firmly together and held on for dear life. Burning with an overwhelming _need_ for him, she arched her head back as her Sparkmate instinctively found a particularly sensitive spot that set all her senses ablaze and caused her to gasp, _"Ohh!_ I…I love you, Jack! D-dear _Primus,_ I love you so _much…!"_

She pulled back for a moment and suddenly began to giggle in spite of herself, "Oh, _look_ at you! You poor thing, Jack…you're absolutely drenched! And I'm only making things _worse!"_

Jack shook his head like a wet dog and chuckled, "Don't worry about me, Arcee. The only thing that matters is that you're here in my arms! Besides, we can't do anything about it now. I had to put all the towels in the room onto the floor so the carpet didn't get soaked when I rolled you in here!"

Arcee smiled as she brushed wet strands of Jack's hair out of his bright eyes, "Still, we've got to get you out of those wet clothes before you catch cold!"

Jack laughed, _"Whoa…_ slow down a minute, Arcee! I'm not _that_ easy, y'know! You'll have to at least buy me _dinner_ first!"

She playfully smacked his arm, "Oh, _you!"_

As Arcee helped Jack peel off his wet shirt, her expression became serious and she asked, "Listen, are you _sure_ you didn't run into any problems out there…?"

" _Nah,_ piece o'cake, Arcee!"

Suddenly there was a loud knock at the door. A gruff voice from the other side of the door rumbled, _"This is the motel manager. Sorry, but there've been a bunch of complaints. Open the door, please."_

Jack and Arcee's wide eyes met.

" _Uh,_ oh…"

"You were _saying…?"_

In a panicked frenzy, Arcee looked around the room as she desperately searched for a place to hide. Briefly she considered hiding under the bed but after taking a glance she quickly changed her mind. She shuddered involuntarily, realizing she would much rather stand alone against a platoon of heavily-armed Decepticons than face the nameless horrors hidden underneath that bed again.

The pounding at the door became louder and more insistent.

" _C'mon, I KNOW you're in there! Open up!"_

Jack silently motioned for Arcee to hide in the bathroom. As soon as she stepped inside Jack picked up the bundle of soaked towels and hurled them into the small room alongside his Sparkmate. The towels hit the bathroom tile with a wet _splat,_ thoroughly dousing her in the process. Arcee scowled menacingly at him before finally closing the door.

The motel manager was shouting now, _"If you don't open this door in five seconds, I'm using the master key and opening it myself! One…two…"_

The bathroom door suddenly flew open and Arcee whispered worriedly, _"Jack…your EYES…!"_

"… _three…"_

Understanding instantly flooded Jack's wide glowing eyes. He nodded to Arcee as she closed and locked the bathroom door.

"… _four…"_

Jack grabbed his duffel bag and reached inside.

"… _FI-!"_

Lightning flashed and thunder boomed overhead as Jack opened the door and smiled calmly at the motel manager, "Hi. What seems to be the problem, sir?"

A rather rotund fellow with a bad complexion and even worse teeth slowly sized Jack up.

"What's with the _shades…?"_

Jack shrugged, "I have a rare eye condition. You said there were a bunch of complaints…?"

The manager narrowed his beady eyes, "Yeah…from _me, myself and I!_ Don't gimme any lip, smart guy. I been watching the security monitors all night, and right after you checked in I saw you wheel your _motorcycle_ into this room!"

Jack blinked nervously, mentally kicking himself for missing the camera outside.

The manager continued, "We got a strict motel policy against bringing vehicles into the building, and I don't even wanna _think_ about what kind of weird junk you might be into. This is a respectable joint so I want you _and_ your pretty little bike _outta_ here!"

Jack cocked an eyebrow, "I'm sorry but I think there's been some mistake. There isn't a motorcycle in this room. See for yourself."

"Look, I know what I saw." The manager pushed his way past Jack and entered the room. His eyes widened in disbelief as they darted around, finding no motorcycle and absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.

""B-but…I coulda _sworn…"_

Just then a concerned voice called from behind the closed bathroom door.

" _Jack…?_ What's wrong, baby? Is everything all right?"

Thinking fast, Jack answered, "Everything's fine, babe...just a bit of a misunderstanding with the motel manager. He thinks he saw me bringing our motorcycle into the room."

Arcee forced a nervous laugh, _"What?!_ Oh, that's _crazy!_ Who'd try to bring a motorcycle into a nice place like this?"

Jack faced the manager and suggested reasonably, "Are you sure you didn't just see me help my - _uh,_ my _girlfriend_ \- into the room…? That downpour outside is pretty harsh and might play tricks on your eyes…"

The manager huffed defensively, "I _know_ what I saw! 'Sides, your motorcycle's _not_ in the parking lot anymore! Got an answer to _that,_ Criss Angel?"

Jack was at a loss and began to sweat.

Listening from her side of the locked bathroom door, Arcee frantically tried to think of a way out of the tense situation. Looking out the small window, she saw several other vehicles in the parking lot surrounding the motel and did some lightning-fast calculations.

Jack was on the verge of cracking when suddenly he began to smile.

"What are you _talking_ about? My motorcycle is right where I parked it. Look _behind_ you."

The manager smirked confidently, "Nice try, kid. But I saw what I saw. Your bike is - "

He turned and grew pale.

A sleek motorcycle was parked precisely where Jack had indicated. Gleaming like brand new, it shimmered in the heavy downpour.

"…is…is right where you _said_ it was. _H-how…?"_

Jack grinned, "Will there be anything else…?"

" _Umm,_ no…no, th-that'll be all, sir. Sorry for disturbing you, sir. Enjoy your stay, sir." The manager slowly turned and walked back towards his office, shaking his head as he muttered, "…that's it. No more late night pizza for me…"

Jack couldn't resist as he called out, "Oh, and could you bring us some more towels? _Thanks!"_

Closing the door, Jack secured the deadbolt lock and finally let out the breath that he had been holding.

" _Whew!_ That was _way_ too close!"

The bathroom door slowly opened and Arcee nervously peeked out.

"Is…is it safe?"

Jack removed his shades and sat down at the foot of the bed. He watched as Arcee left the relative safety of the tiny bathroom and joined him. Eagerly he asked, "Okay, Arcee…how in the name of Houdini did you _do_ that little trick?"

Arcee smiled, "Remember _Sadie…?"_

"Your holographic rider…?"

Arcee nodded, "I wouldn't be a very convincing _robot in disguise_ if I drove around without _somebody_ always at the wheel, would I? Remember, if I don't have you on board I always project a lifelike hologram of a rider so I don't attract any unwanted attention."

Jack waggled his eyebrows, "Oh, trust me…you _still_ attract attention. Sadie's _hot."_

Arcee smirked, "Keep it _up,_ Smooth Operator. Well...anyway, I just did the _reverse_ of that. I projected a holographic image of my _motorcycle body_ instead!"

Jack was dumbfounded, "But…but you were locked in the bathroom! How did you possibly get a hologram projected from way back _there_ to up here…in the exact parking place, no less?!"

Arcee grinned proudly, "I'll admit, it _was_ a little tricky. I was able to project the image against the mirrored surfaces of the other vehicles in the parking lot and bounce it this way and that, all the way around the motel until…well, _you_ get the idea."

Still attempting to wrap his brain around the physics of Arcee's impressive stunt, Jack stared blankly for a few moments until finally he gave up and let his upper body fall back against the bed. He shook his head and chuckled, "Holy _scrap…_ maybe I should start calling _you_ 'Smooth Operator,' Arcee."

Arcee smiled seductively as she slowly walked towards the bed. She sat next to Jack and looked down at him, gazing longingly into his eyes. She reached out with her fingertips and slowly traced them down Jack's bare chest, the sensation causing him to clutch at the bedcovers and shiver uncontrollably.

"Are you still _cold,_ Jack?"

Jack smiled, _"Freezing."_

Arcee lay down and snuggled alongside Jack, wrapping her arms around him. She brushed her lips sensually against the hollow of his throat as she purred, _"Mmm…_ can't have _that_ now, can we?"

Before their lips finally touched, Jack whispered, _"So, what do you suggest…?"_


	3. Chapter 3 - WHAT ABOUT SADIE

" _Happy Anniversary, by the way…"_

Arcee and Jack sat and smiled serenely as they faced one another in the darkness. The storm that continued to rage outside had knocked out the power hours earlier, but they couldn't have cared _less._

Their small room at the _End of the Road Motel_ was illuminated by a single candle that Jack had placed on the small table between them. The tiny flame only added to the romantic mood as it flickered and danced about, casting a warm glow that illuminated their contented features.

As they stared deeply into each other's adoring eyes, Arcee smiled in reply to her beloved Sparkmate, "Has it been a month _already?"_

Jack nodded as he reached for another bite of pizza, "I guess it really _is_ true. Time flies when you're having fun."

Arcee lifted her glass and sipped delicately at the liquid Energon. Her eyes glowed slightly brighter for a moment as the potent substance flowed through her and reenergized her body. Jack watched her intently and suddenly grinned, "I will _never_ get tired of watching that."

Suddenly nervous from his intense gaze, she asked, "Jack, does…does it ever bother you because of how _different_ I am?"

" _What…?"_

"I mean, even with this new third body I still can't eat human food like you. I'm sitting here drinking _Energon._ Doesn't that ever seem _strange_ to you?"

Jack was incredulous. He reached out and held Arcee's hand, gently lacing their fingers together.

"Arcee, are you _serious…?_ Everything you do - everything _about_ you - is _beautiful._ There isn't a part of you that I _don't_ love…"

She smiled shyly and slowly drained the remaining Energon from the slender glass container.

Jack finished with a sly twinkle in his eye, _"…including_ your snoring."

Arcee suddenly coughed and indignantly insisted, "Wait, what are you _talking_ about, Jack? I don't _snore…!_ Y-you must be _hearing_ things."

Jack smirked, noting how easily Arcee had become flustered. He decided not to push the issue at this time and changed the subject instead.

"This is your first time in a motel, right? What do you think…?"

Arcee looked around before murmuring, "I still can't get over actually being _inside_ a human dwelling like this. Before my transformation the closest I ever got was the inside of your garage!" She winked, "I think the garage had fewer _cockroaches,_ though…"

Jack's expression suddenly fell, "I…I'm really sorry, Arcee. I would love to take you somewhere really nice, but there aren't too many nice places to spend the night where I can actually sneak you inside the room. You _know_ that, right…?"

"I was just kidding with you, Jack. It honestly _isn't_ that important."

"I'm _serious,_ Arcee!"

"So am _I,_ Jack…it doesn't matter to me whether we make love outside in the middle of the desert wilderness or inside in a place like this. As long as we're together, _that's_ what matters. What did you tell me when we started this road trip…? _Home is where the heart is?_ _You're_ my heart, Jack…and I love you _wherever_ we make our home."

"…you still deserve better."

"Look at it from another angle, Jack…I'm sure we can come up with some new tricks using my hologram tech. You never _know…_ might be kind of _fun_ to find out how many different ways we could sneak indoors…!"

Jack sighed, "I…I guess."

It bothered Arcee to see Jack worry so much. She knew his innate sense of responsibility could sometimes be overwhelming, especially for one as young as he was. She resolved to help ease her Sparkmate's burden _…somehow._

Jack quietly contemplated things for another few moments before suddenly asking, "So I've been wondering, why _Sadie…?"_

Arcee's eyes widened slightly. _"Mm…?_ What do you mean? What _about_ Sadie?"

"Well…you and I have known each other for _years,_ Arcee. In that entire time I don't think I've _ever_ asked you how your holographic rider got the _name_ 'Sadie.'"

Arcee blinked uncertainly and then chuckled, "Oh, you don't want to hear _that_ old story, Jack."

Jack didn't notice how Arcee's demeanor had suddenly become guarded. Oblivious, he pressed on.

"Oh, I think I _do._ C'mon, Arcee…I want to know!"

"Jack, we shouldn't - "

" _Please…?"_

Arcee sighed deeply. She knew how persistent Jack could be and realized there was simply no way out of this. Besides, after all that they had been through together she refused to be anything but completely honest with him.

Even if that meant his knowing the truth would hurt them _both._

Arcee began, "It was several months after my partner Cliffjumper and I escaped Cybertron and arrived on Earth…"

…

"I didn't do it."

As they stood before Optimus Prime in the Autobot's hidden base Omega One, Arcee elbowed Cliffjumper sharply in his midsection. She whispered with an aggravated hiss, "Are you _trying_ to get yourself in trouble, 'Cliff? Just keep quiet, leave the talking to me and we'll be _fine."_

Cliffjumper paused for about a full second before blurting out, "I _still_ didn't do it."

Arcee facepalmed helplessly.

Optimus Prime turned to face them and looked at Cliffjumper with a bemused expression on his impassive features. His distinctive baritone voice rumbled as he spoke.

"I have not accused you of anything, Cliffjumper..."

Arcee smirked, "See…I _told_ you."

Optimus finished, _"…yet."_

Arcee and Cliffjumper spoke as one, _"SCRAP."_

"Actually, Arcee…the issue I wish to address does not concern Cliffjumper, it concerns _you."_

Just then the warning klaxons began to sound.

Optimus glanced over at Ratchet. The old Autobot medic nodded in reply, "Right on time."

The elevator doors suddenly opened and a gruff voice yelled out.

" _PRIME!"_

Optimus turned to greet their visitor, "Agent Fowler. How may we assist you today?"

As Fowler began to chew out the patient Autobot leader, Arcee rolled her eyes and muttered, "Oh, great. The _human…"_

Cliffjumper chuckled, "What've you got against humans, Arcee?"

"I…I don't know…they're just so loud and noisy…"

Ratchet chimed in, "Don't forget _squishy."_

"My _point_ is that humans make me… _uneasy._ I mean, just the thought of one of them _touching_ me…" Arcee shuddered at the mental image and stepped towards Optimus. She interrupted impatiently, "Optimus…? I don't mean to be rude to our _guest,_ but earlier you mentioned an issue that involves _me…?"_

Fowler smiled without humor, "Yeah, funny you should bring that up, lady. As a matter of fact, it's why _I'm_ here. There have been some interesting reports that have come to my attention…"

Arcee barely looked in Fowler's direction.

" _So...?"_

Optimus rumbled a firm warning, _"Arcee…"_

Unruffled, Fowler continued, _"…so,_ these reports tell me that there have recently been several nighttime sightings of a mysterious motorcycle driving around Jasper, Nevada. The locals are pretty freaked out."

"What, they've never seen a _motorcycle_ around here before?"

"Not a motorcycle that was driving _itself."_

Fowler saw Arcee's eye twitch almost imperceptibly. He grinned, "Got anything you want to say to me _now…?"_

Arcee shrugged, "I don't have to answer to you."

"But you _do_ answer to _me."_ Optimus had reached the end of his patience.

Cliffjumper murmured worriedly, "Ohh, _scrap."_

Optimus stepped forward, firmly planting his foot on the ground hard enough to make the entire base shake. Even Arcee couldn't help but be intimidated by the sheer power of the Autobot leader's presence.

"Arcee, _this_ is the reason you stand before us today. You must remember that you are no longer on Cybertron. This new world is not our own, and as long as we remain here we will live in peace among the humans. In order to avoid alarming the general populace, their governments have requested that we Autobots remain undetected."

Arcee huffed, _"'Keep a low profile.'_ I _get_ that, Optimus."

"Then why have you not been using the _holographic projector_ that I provided you?" Ratchet was especially frustrated by the situation and went on, "We have all adapted our vehicular forms to match Earth modes of transportation in order to move among the humans unnoticed, but because of the nature of your unique body type you required a little something _…extra."_

"A lifelike hologram of a human rider…"

"… _precisely."_

"I need some air." Arcee suddenly transformed into her motorcycle mode and rocketed towards the main exit.

Cliffjumper yelled, "Wait for me, Arcee!" He quickly turned to Optimus and said, "I-I'll try to talk some sense into her, sir."

Optimus silently nodded, giving his permission.

As he rushed by Agent Fowler, Cliffjumper slowed and smiled, "By the way, Bill…thanks for sending me that book I asked about."

Fowler chuckled, "No problem, 'Cliff. I'm still amazed that an alien robot would be interested in _Americana."_

"Are you _serious?_ How could I not be? This country's history is _fascinating._ I mean, it's not a perfect culture but then again whose _is?"_

"I agree with you but I'm kind of biased. Proud to be an _American,_ right…?"

Cliffjumper smirked, _"Right._ I guess fighting for freedom is something we _both_ believe in. _Scrap,_ listen to me go on…I'll talk your ears off if you let me. See you later, Bill!" Transforming into his vehicle mode, Cliffjumper burned rubber as he raced after Arcee.

Fowler slowly shook his head and grinned, "Well, stick my head on Mount Rushmore and call me _President."_

Cliffjumper quickly caught up to Arcee and pulled up alongside her as she sped away from Omega One.

"Mind if I join you?"

There was a long pause before Arcee finally answered with a curt, _"Whatever."_

Cliffjumper watched as Arcee suddenly accelerated. He sighed and muttered to himself, "Well, _this_ is gonna be fun…"


	4. Chapter 4 - YOU AND ME

" _Arcee! Slow down, willya…?!"_

It had been almost an hour since Cliffjumper and Arcee had begun their trek across the Nevada desert. She had kept her distance from him, purposely staying several yards ahead of her talkative partner and maintaining an awkward silence.

Cliffjumper was never one to remain silent for very long, however. He dealt with any problems he faced the same way he dealt with _everything,_ which was to grab life by the horns and hang on.

"Listen, 'Cee…I know how much you love the open road and all, but don't you think it's about time we started to head back _home?"_

" _Home…? HOME?!"_

Arcee suddenly skidded to a stop, forcing Cliffjumper to slam on the breaks to avoid hitting her. She abruptly transformed into robot mode and whirled around, glaring at him and waiting impatiently as he also transformed.

She gestured furiously at their desolate surroundings and screamed, _"YOU CALL THIS…HOME?! LOOK AROUND YOU, 'CLIFF! TAKE A GOOD LONG LOOK! THIS ISN'T OUR HOME!"_

Cliffjumper whispered, _"Arcee…"_

"We are _trapped_ here, 'Cliff! The six of us - maybe the last Autobots left alive in the fragging _universe_ \- on an alien planet billions of light-years from home! We're...we're _alone_ here! We're alone wherever we _travel_ on this rock, 'Cliff..." Arcee slowly sank to her knees and murmured despairingly, _"W-we…are always…alone…!"_

Cliffjumper was closer to Arcee than anyone else. She was his partner, and he knew what she was feeling.

Centuries of endless Cybertronian war had left deep emotional scars on them all...Arcee in particular. She had learned to cope by keeping her feelings buried deep, guarding her innermost self with a protective shell. The only problem with that was that although it kept her from experiencing additional hurt and suffering, it also kept her completely _alone._

A warm breeze blew past them as a deafening silence fell. Cliffjumper wracked his neural processor, trying to think of a way to reach out to Arcee without losing her trust.

"Come on, 'Cee...look at the bright side. The war might have ended and they just forgot to tell _us._ I mean, it's already been almost three years since we've even _seen_ any Decepticons. Who _knows?_ Maybe they all ran outta gas."

Arcee tried in vain to hide a smirk.

"You're so full of scrap, I don't know why I _bother_ sometimes..."

Cliffjumper chuckled, knowing that he had her full attention now.

"It's not your fault, 'Cee. Maybe if your vehicle mode wasn't so _slow…"_

 _"What_ did you just say...?"

He smiled, "Seriously, Arcee...if you're not careful, even _Bulkhead_ might be able to drive circles around you."

She slowly rose to her feet and snarled menacingly, _"Take…that…BACK."_

 _"Prove_ me wrong, then. If you're so fast, surely you're not afraid of a little race...if you can catch me before sundown, then I'll admit I was wrong."

Arcee shook her head and said, "Not good enough. Let's make it _really_ interesting, 'Cliff. If I tag you before sundown, then not only will you admit you were wrong in front of Optimus Prime and the others but you will _also_ handle my maintenance duties for a full lunar cycle!"

Cliffjumper grinned approvingly, _"Nice!_ Still needs one more little tweak though...when you lose - and you _will_ \- you'll also agree to use your hologram from now on without raising a big stink about it...no if's and's or but's about it!"

 _"Fine."_

They both transformed into their respective vehicle modes and loudly revved their engines.

"Oh, Arcee...?"

"What _is_ it, 'Cliff?"

"Did I ever tell you you're _cute_ when you're baffled...?"

 _"Wh-what...?"_

Cliffjumper suddenly burned rubber and sped away, leaving Arcee in a huge cloud of dust.

Arcee cursed, "SCRAP."

The race was on.

Several miles up the road, a lone highway patrolman reclined within his cruiser. He was bored out of his mind and wished desperately for some excitement to liven up an otherwise dull evening. Suddenly his radar began to ping a warning. Glad for the distraction, he quickly sat up and prepared for the chase. As he securely strapped himself in, he looked in amazement as the radar pinged faster and faster before finally shorting out. He gaped as two vehicles suddenly rocketed by at impossible speeds.

His hands shook as he picked up the radio and contacted headquarters.

"Y-you guys aren't gonna believe this..."

Headquarters answered without missing a beat.

 _"Let me guess: blue motorcycle...mysterious make and model...no rider, right?"_

"H-how did...?"

 _"Listen, buddy...this kind of thing happens all the time in Jasper, Nevada. You get used to it. My advice to you...? You didn't see anything."_

The patrolman agreed and slowly sank back into his seat.

The Autobots maintained their frentic pace as they zoomed across the desert. Cliffjumper was uncharacteristically quiet as he focused on staying just ahead of Arcee. For her part, Arcee refused to give up and fought valiantly to close the gap between them. She smiled inwardly as she imagined the look on her partner's face when she succeeded in beating him.

After about a half hour, Cliffjumper suddenly broke the tense silence.

"Be honest with me, 'Cee...what's your problem with the humans? C'mon, it's just the two of us out here, so what is it _really?"_

There was a lengthy pause before Arcee finally answered.

"It isn't anything the humans have _done,_ Cliffjumper. It's just that...they're so small and fragile, they can barely _defend_ themselves. Wh-when I look at them...I...I see a _reflection,_ 'Cliff. I see _myself."_

"Arcee...that was a long time ago..."

"Not to _me._ I can still see it like it just happened...I will _never_ forget how I failed to protect the ones I cared about. Tailgate was _my_ responsibility, 'Cliff. I...I don't know if I can ever deal with that kind of loss again..."

Cliffjumper calmly replied, "If I have anything to say about it, 'Cee...you won't _have_ to. As far as the humans not being able to take care of themselves...you'd be _surprised._ They may be small but they're capable of great things. One day you'll see what I mean."

"Maybe..."

Arcee suddenly became aware of the long shadows stretching lazily across the stark desert landscape. Time was rapidly running out. If she was going to make a move, she was going to have to do it _fast._ She was briefly mesmerized by the brilliant explosion of bright colors filling the sky as the sun slowly began to set. She had never seen such beauty before, and she especially _didn't_ expect to see it on this rock.

She shook off any distractions and finally saw her chance. Spotting a nearby natural stone formation up ahead, Arcee veered sharply to the side and began to climb the formation, traveling along its upward slope. She suddenly accelerated and jumped off its rocky ledge.

Time seemed to hold its breath as Arcee sliced through the air. She suddenly transformed and somersaulted gracefully, her momentum carrying her directly towards Cliffjumper. Stretching out her slender arm, Arcee lightly brushed her fingertips against the horns mounted on the front end of Cliffjumper's vehicle mode. With seconds to spare, she effectively tagged him and won the race just before the sun had completely set.

They both skidded to a stop as Cliffjumper transformed back into robot mode.

"HA! In your _face,_ 'Cliff!"

For the first time in memory, Arcee _laughed._ She danced merrily around Cliffjumper, grinning like she didn't have a care in the world.

Cliffjumper huffed, "You...you _got_ me, 'Cee."

Arcee suddenly paused and looked at Cliffjumper suspiciously. She stabbed an accusing finger towards him and demanded, "DID YOU _LET_ ME WIN?!"

Vehemently he denied it, "Are you _kidding_ me, Arcee? The _last_ thing I want to do is pull double maintenance duty for a whole lunar cycle!"

Arcee intently searched his face for any sign of deception. Finding none she finally smiled as she nodded with satisfaction.

Cliffjumper sighed dramatically, "Ah well…I guess I'll have to marry you now, _Sadie."_

" _WHAT…?!"_

The look of sudden shock on Arcee's face caused Cliffjumper to laugh uproariously. She stood with her fists on her hips and stared daggers at her partner. He risked a glance at her and laughed even louder.

Angrily she demanded, "What's so scrapping _funny…?"_

Cliffjumper wiped at his optics and chuckled, "I guess...I guess you haven't _heard_ that story."

"I guess I _haven't._ So spill, already. Why did you call me _Sadie?"_

"Okay, but remember you _did_ ask for it. It all started around seventy years ago, a few years before the humans began their second World War. During this time there was a popular comic strip - "

"Wait, a _what...?"_

"A comic strip. Sorry, Arcee...it's a type of graphic art medium used by the humans. They tell a story in a sequential arrangement of interrelated drawings for entertainment purposes. Anyway, this particular comic strip introduced the character of _Sadie Hawkins._ The story tells that Sadie was so physically unattractive, her father was terrified at the idea that his daughter would remain a spinster all her life."

"Thanks, 'Cliff...I appreciate the analogy. I feel so much _better_ now. What's a _spinster?"_

"A spinster was an unmarried woman who was past the usual marrying age...usually she was considered unlikely to _ever_ get married. Look, we're getting sidetracked here. Anyway, Sadie's father called together all the eligible bachelors and forced them to compete in a foot race. The bachelors were given a head start before Sadie could chase after them."

"I don't get it. Why was she _chasing_ them...?"

"Because if Sadie Hawkins managed to catch somebody, she would have to drag him - kicking and screaming - across the finish line. If she succeeded in doing this before sundown, he had to _marry_ her."

Arcee reared back and punched Cliffjumper square in the jaw.

"OW! What the _scrap,_ Arcee...?! That _hurt!"_

"Really...? _I_ feel great. So...you think I'm so _pathetic_ that you have to rescue me from _myself?_ Is _that_ it, 'Cliff? _IS IT?!"_

"C'mon, 'Cee...at least give me a chance to _finish_ the story first! If you don't like how it ends, _then_ you can hit me all you want!"

Fuming, Arcee glared at Cliffjumper for an instant before finally agreeing.

"Well, anyway...Sadie ran her race and caught herself a husband. The rest of the local spinsters thought the race was a _great_ idea. They made Sadie Hawkins Day a mandatory event, so once a year the unmarried women got to chase the bachelors in a foot race. The ones they caught...they _married."_

"At what point does this charming little yarn get any better, 'Cliff?"

"Hang on, I'm almost there. The concepts introduced by this comic strip - despite being hopelessly demeaning in many ways - were so popular they inspired real-world events throughout North America. In a culture where the female of the species had been normally viewed as the weaker sex, women suddenly began to boldly take charge of their lives. Sadie Hawkins Day became a very woman-empowering rite of passage. In some areas the tradition continues to this day."

Cliffjumper looked directly at Arcee and realized she still didn't understand.

He exclaimed, "Don't you _get_ it, Arcee? What you said earlier, about feeling like you were incapable of defending yourself and the ones you care about? 'Cee, I can't think of _anybody_ stronger than _you!_ Yes...I _was_ trying to help you, but you're my _partner,_ for Primus' sake. What _else_ was I supposed to do? Besides...today _is_ Sadie Hawkins Day."

Arcee tried not to show how deeply she was moved by Cliffjumper's words. She attempted to change the subject and asked, "How do you _know_ all this stuff, 'Cliff?"

"Blame Agent Fowler. He's forgotten more about American culture than I could _ever_ hope to learn. Heh...who _knows,_ Arcee? One day you might actually end up with a human friend of your very own!"

Arcee rolled her eyes and smiled, "Like _that's_ ever going to happen..."

Cliffjumper smirked at Arcee's expression, "Totally _worth_ it. You should smile more often, 'Cee…it looks _good_ on you."

There was a momentary silence as the sky slowly darkened and the stars began to appear.

Arcee suddenly could not hide her buried feelings any longer. Hesitantly she asked, "'Cliff…wh-why...? Why would you do all this for me...?"

Cliffjumper looked deeply into her eyes and slowly reached out to gently caress her cheek. He smiled, "Arcee, _really…?_ Do I have to spell it out for you?"

Her eyes widened as she realized the magnitude of what he was trying to say.

"' _C-Cliff…"_

Suddenly the com-link buzzed.

Cliffjumper sighed before answering, _"Scrap._ Cliffjumper here."

 _"This is Optimus. I apologize for the interruption, but we have detected a possible Energon reading in the rural New York region. We are not certain yet but it could prove to be significant."_

"Sir, can't Bumblebee or Bulkhead handle this one? Arcee and I are in the middle of - "

 _"I am afraid that Bumblebee and Bulkhead are both on important missions of their own. Again, you have my apologies but time is of the essence. Our Energon stores are dangerously low and need to be replenished as soon as possible. Cliffjumper, you are to investigate these readings. Arcee, you will remain on patrol in the immediate area. Please exercise caution and remain alert. Remember, there is always the possibility that the Decepticons could return at any given moment."_

"Understood, sir. We're on it."

Cliffjumper smiled and winked at Arcee, "Duty calls, right? We'll talk more after I get back. Don't worry, I won't forget about the details of our little arrangement. Until then...take care of yourself, Arcee."

Arcee blinked nervously and replied, "Y-you too, 'Cliff. Be safe."

Cliffjumper transformed into his vehicle mode and drove away.

As he swiftly vanished from sight Arcee thought about the things that were discussed, both spoken and unspoken. She transformed into her motorcycle mode and let her engine idle for a few moments as she continued to deliberate.

Eventually she made her decision and murmured, _"Oh, why not?"_

A lifelike hologram of a female rider clad in skintight black leather suddenly flickered into existence.

Arcee carefully studied every aspect of her holographic rider, making absolutely sure that it met with her approval. Sexy and mysterious with just a hint of danger, the striking hologram was the virtual embodiment of the ultimate bad biker girl.

Arcee finally decided she was satisfied, and loudly revved her engine before roaring into the night.

 _"C'mon, Sadie…it's you and me."_

…

Arcee stared numbly into space, not really focusing on anything in particular.

"That was the last time I saw 'Cliff alive. About two weeks later, I got the chance to speak with him one more time. Th-that was the day…"

Jack finished for her, "…when he got ambushed by the Decepticons."

She nodded mutely.

Jack closed his eyes and hung his head.

"Aw, _scrap._ Arcee, if I had known I _never_ would've - "

"It's…it's all right, Jack. I should have told you this long ago. You deserve to hear the truth."

"I knew you two were _close_ but I…I never realized…"

Jack's eyes abruptly snapped open. It was so painfully _obvious_ he couldn't believe that it had never occurred to him before. He slowly looked up at Arcee, his hands trembling as he forced himself to ask the dreaded question.

"…you _loved_ him, didn't you…?"

"Yes. Yes, I _did."_

Jack suddenly had trouble breathing. His throat felt constricted and his vision began to blur as everything in the room seemed to sway.

Somehow he managed to choke out the rest of the words.

"…and…and Cliffjumper…h-he was going to ask you to _sparkbond_ with him, wasn't he…?"

After a moment's pause Arcee answered reluctantly, "I believe so, yes."

Jack squeezed his eyes shut as he let out a ragged breath. He covered his face with his hands and murmured, "I am such a fragging _idiot."_

Arcee immediately turned to face Jack.

"Jack, _what…?"_

He slowly lowered his hands and looked at Arcee. She gasped, unprepared for the look of pain in Jack's red-rimmed eyes. He blinked back burning tears as he whispered, "I…I've been _fooling_ myself all this time."

"What are you _talking_ about, Jack?"

"H-how can you _ask_ me that, Arcee…? Do you know how hard it is for me to hear you tell me this, especially _now…?!_ Do you know how hard it is for me to see that…that _look_ in your eyes whenever you say Cliffjumper's _NAME?!"_

Arcee's eyes narrowed angrily as she snapped, "I don't know, Jack…probably about as hard as it was for _me_ to just sit there and say nothing all those times you were mooning over _Sierra!_ Remember when you offered her a ride on your motorcycle…? Well, _I_ sure do… _I WAS THE MOTORCYCLE!"_

Jack shouted, "DAMMIT, THIS ISN'T THE SAME THING AND YOU _KNOW_ IT!"

There was an awkward silence that seemed to last _forever._

Jack whispered, "What…what are we _doing,_ Arcee?"

"I…I know. We shouldn't be fighting over - "

" _No,_ Arcee. I mean what are we doing… _together?"_

" _Wh-what…?"_

"Maybe…maybe you were right earlier. Maybe we _are_ too different."

" _Jack…!_ You can't possibly think - "

He suddenly turned to face her and stared hard into her eyes. His voice was full of self-loathing and regret as he asked, "Why are you even _with_ me, Arcee? What could somebody like _me_ ever hope to offer you? What kind of _life_ can we have together…always hiding, always on the run…"

Arcee's eyes began to well with tears.

"Jack, p-please…don't _do_ this…"

"You deserve…so much better, Arcee…I _see_ that now. You…you're better off _without_ me. All I'm going to do is screw everything up, anyway."

" _No…!_ No, that's not true! _Jack…"_

Jack abruptly stood to his feet and began to move towards the door.

Arcee asked fearfully, "Wh-where are you _going…?"_

Jack opened the door and paused at the doorway. He glanced back and spoke with a terrible finality, "Arcee, I just…I need some time…you know, to _think_ about this. I won't be…be gone…long…oh, _G-God."_

Arcee leapt to her feet, intending to stop Jack before he took another step. He quickly held up a trembling hand to ward her off but it was the utter look of despair on his face that froze Arcee in her tracks.

" _Jack…"_

Incredibly, Jack laughed. It was a low mirthless chuckle.

"S'funny…I can still remember it like it was yesterday…there was a storm _that_ night, too…the night that _he_ left us…"

A cold chill suddenly gripped Arcee's spark as she realized Jack was talking about his _father._

"Th-those words…those damn _words_ that he suh-said to Mom…"

"Jack, what - "

"Arcee…I-I just…I just said those s-same words…to _you…"_

Jack let out a choked sob as he held onto the doorframe. A horrified look filled his eyes as he shook his head and murmured ruefully, "… _the exact same words."_

Arcee took another determined step towards Jack. She would sooner _die_ than let him go without a fight. Just before she could reach him he suddenly stumbled outside and into the raging storm. Within seconds he was soaked to the skin.

Jack gazed sorrowfully into Arcee's eyes for a moment before he was overcome with shame and looked down at the ground. She could not tell if he was crying, as the storm's own violent tears had obliterated any trace if he had been.

He managed to croak out, "I…I swore that I…I would _never_ be like my father…and yet here _I_ am…doing the s-same thing…! I just…I just don't know what else to _do…!"_

Arcee reached out her hand, pleading… _imploring_ to Jack.

"Come _back_ to me, Jack _…p-please…_ you and me…we can get _through_ this…"

Jack shook violently from the icy cold downpour. He wanted to believe her. He was _desperate_ to believe her…that somehow everything would be all right. He forced himself to look up.

She was so _beautiful._ Even with her eyes full of pain and worry, Arcee was easily the most entrancing woman Jack had ever met. He knew that she was unique in all the universe and he would never know anyone else who could compare to her. She was his _angel,_ and he loved her with all his heart and soul.

" _F-forgive me, Arcee."_

Lightning suddenly flashed and for an instant everything went white. Arcee rapidly blinked her eyes until her sight returned.

Jack was _gone._

A huge thunderclap _boomed_ loudly and rattled the windows as Arcee fell to her knees. The tears that she had managed to hold back all this time finally streamed down her face and she wept pitifully, crying out to her lost love.

" _Jack, don't leave me…!"_


	5. Chapter 5 - A NEW MODEL

" _I just need some time…you know, to think about this. I won't be gone long."_

The night was as dark as it could possibly get. A terrible storm raged, both outside and inside the house. The man busied himself by stuffing his things into an old duffel bag. Behind him the woman held a trembling hand to her cheek, swollen and red from where he had struck her only moments earlier.

Fighting back her tears she angrily replied, "You don't believe that any more than I do. If you walk out that door, you're never coming back to us. Look me in the eyes and tell me the _truth!_ After everything you've put this family through, I think I deserve an honest answer for once."

He paused for only a moment as he glanced over his shoulder and loudly demanded, "What am I _supposed_ to say, _huh?_ What d'you _want_ from me?!"

"…I just…I want things to be the way they _used_ to be. I want…I want my _husband_ back…"

"Sorry, June…can't be something I'm _not."_

" _D-Daddy…?"_

She gasped as she turned to see her tiny son standing in the doorway to their bedroom. Worried over what he might have seen, she murmured, "Jack…wh-what are you doing out of bed?"

The child's lower lip quivered fearfully, "Th-the storm woke me up. I got scared, a-and then I heard you and Daddy fighting. Wh-what's _wrong,_ Daddy? Why are you packing your clothes…?""

His father rolled his eyes and ignored him.

She knelt before her son and tried to explain, "Jack, I…listen, sweetie…Daddy…Daddy's going away for a little while, so you're going to have to be the man of the house while he's not here. C-can you do that for me, Jack?"

"Mommy, why is Daddy leaving? Did…did _I_ do something bad?"

" _No,_ baby…you didn't do _anything_ wrong."

Little Jack's eyes filled with tears and he cried out, "Don't go, Daddy…I _love_ you!"

He practically ran towards his father and hugged his knees, pleading with him to stay.

Jack's father huffed impatiently and warned Jack to let go of him, but Jack shook his head and held on tighter. His father angrily reared back his hand.

Before he could do anything June stopped him by grabbing his wrist and standing in between him and her child. She glared fearlessly at him and snarled, "Don't you _dare_ touch him!"

Jack blinked through his frightened tears, not wanting to believe that his father had almost hit him.

" _D-Daddy…?"_

There was an instant of silence as Jack's father stared hard into June's unblinking eyes. Whatever trace of love that had been there was now gone forever.

Finally he shrugged, _"Whatever."_

He turned abruptly and pushed past them. He quickly walked out the door and left without another word. June wiped her tears away and silently watched him go.

Little Jack began to sob and reached out after his father, clutching with his tiny hands as June protectively held him close and safe. They both watched as his father walked out into the night, not caring about the storm that raged violently around him.

"Daddy, don't _go!_ Don't _leave_ me! _Daddy…DADDY! COME BACK! PLEASE…! DADDYYYYY…!"_

…

" _Don't leave me, Jack…please…please don't leave me…"_

Arcee lay sprawled on the floor. Her eyes were wide open as they stared blankly, not truly seeing anything. She wept silently, the tears streaming down her cheeks as she repeated the same words over and over again.

Suddenly her com-link buzzed.

" _Arcee…? Arcee! Can you hear me?"_

She blinked uncertainly and whispered, "J-Jack…?"

The gruff _voice harrumphed_ loudly, _"Oh, puh-leaze. I should certainly think NOT."_

"Ratchet…? I-is that _you?"_

" _Well, obviously. Of COURSE it's me. Arcee, what in Primus' name is WRONG with you?!"_

Arcee asked herself that very question. _What, indeed._ She knew without a doubt that she had just experienced a memory of Jack's. It shouldn't even have been possible, because the nature of a _sparkbond_ only existed when there was total synchronization between partners. Emotions and memories were shared, and an almost supernatural connection existed that allowed for silent communion between Sparkmates.

In Jack and Arcee's case, they had only managed to succeed in creating a partial bond through their physical union. There was no doubt that Arcee did indeed possess a vague sense of Jack's emotions, because the pain he presently felt was an almost palpable thing that threatened to overwhelm her. However, it still didn't make sense that she was actually able to access one of his memories. She assumed it was because the memory and the intense emotions associated with it were so incredibly strong. She also reasoned that in light of what had happened between them mere hours ago, Jack was likely thinking about that specific memory and the echo of that memory was resonating throughout Arcee's very spark.

Before she had a chance to think more about the unique nature of her bond with Jack, Ratchet again interrupted her train of thought.

" _Arcee…? Are you - "_

"I'm _fine."_ Arcee answered much more forcefully than she intended. She immediately regretted the terseness of her tone and apologized, "Sorry, Ratchet."

" _Hmp. Honeymoon's already over, then?"_

Arcee's shining eyes widened in surprise. The true nature of her relationship with Jack had been kept hidden from everyone except for June, and they had made a point of swearing her to secrecy until they were ready to tell the others. However, Ratchet was no fool. He always seemed to know more than he let on. Arcee took a chance and responded as vaguely as she could.

"We…we had a fight."

Ratchet _tsked, "I see…is Jack still in one piece?"_

A single tear trickled down Arcee's cheek and with a tiny voice that sounded nothing like herself she whispered, "He _left,_ Ratchet…he left and I…I don't know where he is."

Arcee could hear an irritated sigh as Ratchet collected his thoughts before answering.

" _It's none of my business, Arcee…and I don't pretend to understand anything that has been going on with the two of you since you left Cybertron a month ago. However, I do have my…suspicions."_

"R-Ratchet…"

" _Listen…Jack may be only human, but I know that he has a good heart. I'm certain that given time, you two will be able to work things out…whatever the scrap THAT means."_

Arcee couldn't help but smile.

"You aren't fooling anyone, Ratchet. You honestly _care."_

Ratchet huffed so loudly that Arcee had to stifle a giggle. He then muttered, _"This is what I get for doing all that extra research into human interactions…"_

Arcee's couldn't help but grin, "Still watching your _stories,_ then…?"

" _They're a valuable learning tool! Besides, I MUST find out whether or not Victor has managed to wrest control of Jabot Cosmetics from…from…oh, never MIND!"_

"Your secret's safe with me, Ratchet."

Ratched sighed, _"Yes, well…thank you, Arcee. Oh! Speaking of keeping secrets, I almost forgot…"_

"Ratchet…?"

" _Since you and Jack decided to go sight-seeing, Agent Fowler and I have spoken at length about our mutual concerns over maintaining security. We want to keep you hidden from the public eye and out of trouble, because if we're not absolutely careful sooner or later someone out there is going to discover our existence…and you know what THAT means."_

"Listen, Ratchet…I want nothing more than to chase after Jack but I will _not_ dishonor Optimus Prime's memory by breaking our number one rule. Believe me when I say that's the _only_ reason I haven't already busted out of this fragging place!"

Ratchet chuckled, _"Then I guess my timing couldn't have been better!"_

"What are you talking about?"

" _Your hologram projector is long overdue for an upgrade, and I've been working on some modifications that might help out with your current situation."_

"A new model, huh…? What kind of modifications are we talking about?"

" _Please stand by. I'm 'bridging your weekly 'care package' over to you…now."_

A swirling vortex suddenly appeared in the far corner of the room, and a small container emerged before the ground-bridge vanished.

Arcee walked over to examine the contents of the container. In addition to her week's supply of liquid Energon, there was also a small screen displaying images of various incredibly complicated schematics.

Ratchet continued, _"I've made some significant improvements to your rider hologram…Sadie, wasn't it? All you have to do is scan the schematics I've provided and your T-Cog will do the rest."_

Arcee's eyes glowed brightly as she scanned the images. She immediately felt her internal T-Cog respond to the influx of data, and her internal mechanisms automatically shifted and transformed accordingly.

"I don't _feel_ any different. Are you sure it even works?"

" _Try projecting your hologram and see for yourself."_

Arcee manifested Sadie and did not see anything different at first. She sighed impatiently and slowly shook her head, and was astonished when she began to realize just how much a difference Ratchet's upgrades had made. The hologram was mimicking her movement by slowly shaking its head as well.

"She can move…? Scrap, Sadie can _move,_ Ratchet!"

" _Sadie can do a lot more than that, Arcee. In addition to your hologram's ability to execute the full range of movement the human body is capable of, I have also included a new feature that will help you to blend in even better than before. If you will please access your upgraded memory files…?"_

Arcee gasped in amazement, "No…fragging…way."

Ratchet couldn't hide the smug satisfaction in his voice as he answered, _"Not bad, eh? Before, Sadie was somewhat limited by the fact that she didn't have a face for other humans to relate to. Well, no longer. Sadie now has a face that is able to duplicate every single complex expression that the humans possess, right down to all the annoying little subtle nuances. Your hologram can smile, frown, cry…"_

Arcee suddenly interrupted, "Ratchet, there's a whole series of memory files here about physical appearance. Surely you didn't - "

" _Actually, I did. The hologram's form can be altered however you want. You can choose from millions of different options…such as general physical traits like body type, gender, skin and hair color…to the more complex traits like facial features, eye color, hairstyle, and so on. I've even taken the liberty of providing you with a substantial selection of clothing options. Now I realize that I may have gone a bit overboard with everything, but I figured it was better to be prepared for any eventuality."_

" _Whoa."_

" _If you think that's impressive, you're going to love my last surprise."_

"There's _more?!"_

" _As you know, I had been studying the cloaking technology of the Decepticon warship_ Nemesis. _I've been able to incorporate what I've learned into your hologram upgrades."_

"Wait, what are you saying…?"

" _What I'm saying is that you can combine the two into one, Arcee. I'm saying you can now project a hologram directly onto the surface of your entire body. For example, you can scan your immediate surroundings and your metal skin will be able to reflect a hologram of that scan, effectively cloaking your body from detection. A…Holocloak, if you will."_

"You're telling me I could make myself _…invisible?"_

" _Isn't that what I just said? The possible applications of this new technology are almost limitless and definitely worth investigating. However, I must warn you that there is a drawback. The Holocloak causes an enormous power drain and expends Energon at a much higher rate than what you're normally accustomed to, so please exercise extreme caution when using it._

"Ratchet, I could _kiss_ you."

" _Yip, yip, yip…save it for Jack when you find him. Good hunting, Arcee."_

Arcee breathed deeply as she contemplated Sadie standing silently before her. Ratchet's words from earlier still continued to echo in her mind.

 _You can combine the two into one, Arcee._

Her eyes widened as a sudden inspiration hit her. Arcee slowly raised her arm and Sadie mimicked the same movement. Their outstretched fingertips brushed together and where they connected there was an unexpected brilliance, like that of a tiny star forming. Arcee grinned excitedly and she quickly stood to her feet and faced Sadie.

In the blink of an eye Arcee searched and sifted through all the millions of options available to her and finally made her choice. The hologram's appearance began to shift and Sadie _transformed._

Arcee smiled, "Okay, Sadie…let's _do_ this."

With a single fluid movement Arcee and Sadie stepped towards one another. A sudden blinding flash of light filled the room.

Without warning there was a knock at the door. The unmistakable sound of a key turning the lock followed and the door slowly opened.

Time held its breath as Jack whispered, _"Arcee…?"_


	6. Chapter 6 - YOU DON'T EXIST

"… _ **AAAAAGHHH!"**_

This was definitely _not_ what Jack Darby had been expecting.

After his emotional meltdown which ended with him leaving Arcee alone, Jack had spent the last several hours wandering about aimlessly in the tiny Midwestern town. When he had finally returned to his senses, he had desperately run the entire way back to the _End of the Road Motel._ Jack knew he had made a terrible mistake and was fully prepared to take whatever punishment Arcee had to dish out.

However, he was not expecting to return to a room where a woman of statuesque beauty now stood. Jack desperately tried to keep his eyes averted, because the woman in question was also very obviously _naked._

In a panic he averted his eyes and squealed, "I'M SORRY I'M SO SORRY I MUST HAVE SOMEHOW GOTTEN THE WRONG ROOM I'M LEAVING NOW PLEASE DON'T CALL THE POLICE!"

Jack hurriedly turned away and started to leave.

" _Jack."_

He froze.

 _That voice. It couldn't be._

Slowly, Jack turned back to face the mysterious woman. He risked opening his eyes.

Jack breathed a sigh of relief, as the woman had taken the opportunity to cover her body with a nearby blanket. She was incredibly beautiful…a mysterious, exotic vision with dusky skin and long dark hair. However, the most striking thing about her was the ornamental jewel positioned near the center of her forehead. The jewel seemed to glow with an inner fire. Jack looked into her eyes and gasped. They were an unearthly shade of blue with a double pink halo. Jack knew those eyes like he knew his own soul.

It was impossible, and yet…

"Ar-Arcee…?"

Glittering tears fell from her eyes and her bottom lip began to quiver. She fell into Jack's arms and cried aloud, _"Oh, JACK!"_

Jack was speechless. He was on the verge of asking what was happening when he heard the sudden pounding of approaching footsteps. He turned to face the motel manager, who had hunched over with his hands on his knees as he huffed and wheezed until he could catch his breath. Eventually the rotund fellow managed to straighten up before he demanded impatiently, "Awright, what's goin' on here?!"

The manager immediately recognized Jack from before and his beady eyes narrowed angrily. He opened his mouth to speak but then he saw Arcee. His eyes widened as he was utterly mesmerized by her beauty. He glanced back at Jack and smirked, "You sly _dog,_ you…"

He gave Jack a thumbs-up and winked as he walked away, chuckling, "Y'know…I'm not even gonna ask where your motorcycle is. You two kids have a nice day, now…"

Jack slowly shook his head and closed the door behind him. He removed his shades and turned his full attention back to Arcee, marveling at her appearance. She held onto him as she sobbed, repeating over and over, _"You came back…you came back…"_

Jack whispered, "Arcee, I - "

Whatever he had been about to say was lost in a rush of breath as Arcee suddenly tightened her grip and began to _squeeze._ In a dangerously low voice she rumbled, "…you _left_ me…"

Jack gasped for air but did not try to pull himself from Arcee's grasp. He merely remained motionless as Arcee slowly raised her head and stared angrily at him. She finally exploded, _"YOU LEFT ME!"_

Arcee finally released Jack but immediately began to pummel him relentlessly, hard enough to smart but not enough to cause any lasting damage. Jack stood there and took it as Arcee yelled furiously, "YOU LEFT ME ALL _ALONE,_ JACK! YOU LEFT ME ALONE IN _THIS_ PRIMUS-FORSAKEN PLACE! YOU _ASS!_ WHAT THE HELL IS _WRONG_ WITH YOU?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH I'VE BEEN WORRIED _SICK_ ABOUT YOU?!"

Jack tried his best not to notice that the blanket Arcee was using to conceal her nakedness had fallen to the ground. He nervously cleared his throat and murmured, _"Umm, A-Arcee…"_

" _SHUT UP!_ THAT WAS A RHETORICAL QUESTION, JACK!"

She leaned in very close to him and held up her hand with her thumb and forefinger only millimeters apart. Jack gulped helplessly as she growled, "Did you know that I came _this_ close to breaking cover and going out there to _find_ you…wearing nothing but this - this scrapping _hologram?!"_

Jack was finding it very hard to catch his breath. His eyes began to glaze over slightly as he whispered, _"A…a hologram…wow…so that's how you…you…wow..."_

Understanding slowly dawned in Arcee's narrowed eyes. She glanced down at herself and huffed with exasperation. She quickly disengaged her Holocloak and the illusion dissolved, returning Arcee to her normal techno-organic appearance. As an afterthought she activated her retractable armor plating, strategically covering herself and denying Jack the opportunity to ogle her body any further.

Arcee stared hard into Jack's eyes and said, "Don't try to change the subject, Jack. I'm still mad at you."

Ashamed, he sighed forlornly, "I…I know. You have every right to be angry, Arcee. What I did…was _inexcusable."_

Jack slowly pulled back from Arcee and sank to the floor.

Arcee asked, "What are you doing?"

"Getting on my hands and knees so I can beg for your forgiveness…"

Arcee blinked in surprise and said, "Jack…you don't have to - "

With a look of quiet determination Jack said somberly, "Yes I do, Arcee…oh, yes I _do."_

Arcee slowly nodded, "O-okay…"

For the briefest of moments Arcee could see the tears welling in Jack's reddened eyes. He hung his head low to the ground so she wouldn't see him cry. He began to tremble as he fought to keep his voice steady, "Arcee…I - I am so _sorry_ for walking out earlier. I didn't know how to handle what you told me about Cliffjumper and…and I guess I got scared. Just like I did all those years ago…"

…

" _Miko…Raf was almost killed! This isn't a game! When are you gonna get that through your thick skull?!"_

 _Miko breathed deeply before answering, "We were ALL almost killed, Jack. You, me, Raf…even THEM!" She angrily motioned towards the Autobots that towered over them._

 _Jack shook his head and said, "Well…if this was just an average day with the Autobots, then I don't want to be a part of it. Not anymore."_

 _Optimus stepped forward and rumbled, "Jack…putting you in harm's way was never our intent. We will respect your decision if you wish to leave."_

 _Jack quickly walked towards the ground-bridge but stopped when Arcee suddenly blocked his way. He glanced up at her and murmured, "I know…you DON'T exist."_

 _He strode past her as she replied, "Don't make me hunt you down…"_

 _Jack disappeared into the swirling emerald vortex. If he had looked back he might have seen the conflicted expression on Arcee's lovely face._

…

"I still don't understand, Jack…what are you so _afraid_ of?"

"I'm afraid of losing _you,_ Arcee. I…I can't go through that again…I _can't._ Wh-when you and the Autobots left Earth…that month we were apart…God, I never thought I'd _see_ you again. It…it almost _killed_ me, Arcee."

"J-Jack…"

"I…I had been in _love_ with you for so long, Arcee…I wanted to tell you how I felt, b-but I never found the courage to say the words. Before I knew what was happening, I had run out of time a-and you were _gone."_

Jack rubbed his eyes and slowly looked up at Arcee.

"I told myself later that it was for the best. I mean, _seriously…_ what chance did I _ever_ have with you? I'm just an ordinary human, and you…y-you…"

Arcee interrupted, "Jack…I've already _told_ you I'm no angel."

He cried, "To me you _are!_ You're _perfect,_ Arcee…you're the most beautiful woman in the universe! I…I don't deserve you. I _never_ have."

"But don't you remember, Jack? I couldn't stay away. I came back…for _you."_

Jack closed his eyes and breathed deeply before continuing, "I…I know. It's just that…wh-when you told me about Cliffjumper, I-I…"

She implored, _"Tell me."_

In a very small voice Jack answered, "…I don't ever want to hold you _back,_ Arcee. Y-you deserve so much better than a-a _nobody_ like me. I'm nothing but a coward…just like my _father."_

Arcee fell to her knees before Jack. She reached up and tenderly cupped his face in her hands.

"You listen to me, Jack…you are _not_ a nobody and you are _nothing_ like your father. Do you think for a single instant that I would have settled for second best when it came to choosing my _Sparkmate?_ My sweet Jack…don't you know you mean the _world_ to me? Even if the Matrix hadn't transformed us into what we are now, I would _still_ have chosen to remain by your side!"

Arcee slowly caressed Jack's face. She traced her fingertips down to his open mouth and gently brushed them across his lips. He swallowed nervously as she drew closer to him and whispered into his ear.

"I _love_ you, Jackson Darby. There isn't a soul or spark in all creation that I want to spend my life with more than _you."_

Jack shivered involuntarily and murmured, "B-but, Arcee…"

Arcee smiled, _"Shh…_ let me finish, my love. You're also forgetting one very important thing, Jack…one crucial element that will _always_ distinguish you from your father."

"Wh-what's that…?"

Arcee pulled back slightly and rested her forehead against Jack's, gazing adoringly into his eyes.

"You came _back_ to me, Jack. You found the courage to face your fears and you came back. Yes, what you did hurt…but what _matters_ is that you realized your mistake."

She grinned as she effectively punctuated each word with a long, luxurious kiss to Jack's lips.

" _You…came…back."_

Breathlessly Jack stammered, "I swear…I will never _…ever…_ leave your side."

Arcee smiled, "Good, because if you do that to me again…"

"…you'll hunt me down?"

"You'll be fragging lucky if that's all I do."

Jack suddenly pulled Arcee close in a desperate embrace.

"I'm so sorry, Arcee…"

"I forgive you, Jack."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

A long time passed before either of them were willing to let go. Reluctantly they pulled back and looked deeply into one another's eyes. There was an awkward uncertainty as they struggled to find the words to say.

Finally Arcee broke the silence and asked, "So, what did you _do_ out there…?"

Jack shrugged, "I just started walking…didn't know where I was going or anything. Finally got some sense knocked into me when I wasn't watching where I was going and almost got run over by a _motorcycle."_

Arcee stared at Jack for a moment before she started to laugh so hard that tears began to stream down her cheeks. She gasped, _"You made that up!"_

Jack shook his head and chuckled, "No, I'm serious! It was _blue,_ too!"

" _BWAHAHAHAHAH!"_

Eventually the laughter died down. Arcee's eyes sparkled as she gazed longingly into Jack's own luminous orbs.

"Umm, Arcee…?"

"Yes, Jack…?"

"Wh-what do you want to do now…?"

Arcee slowly brushed her lips against Jack's and she purred, "I think…I want to go _out."_


	7. Chapter 7 - ONE SMALL STEP

"' _Out…?' You mean…OUT, out?"_

Arcee could see the uncertainty in Jack's eyes. She grinned teasingly and asked, "What's the _matter,_ Jack? You scared to be seen in public with me…?"

Jack blinked nervously, "What? No! No, of course not! Why would you even _say_ something like that, Arcee…?!"

"Calm down, Jack…I was just _kidding."_

Jack sighed and deadpanned, _"Ha, ha._ Seriously, Arcee…this would be a big step for you. Are you sure you're _ready_ for it?"

Arcee nodded, "I think so. I mean, I wouldn't even have considered doing it until Ratchet upgraded my hologram tech this morning. Now I can project the Sadie hologram directly onto the surface of my body and so far as anyone else will be concerned, I'm one hundred percent _human."_

"So _that's_ what's happened. _Scrap,_ Ratchet really outdid himself. Y'know…for awhile there I didn't even realize it was _you,_ Arcee."

"Oh, _really…?"_ Arcee's shining eyes twinkled mischievously as she manifested her Holocloak.

Jack immediately froze as he watched Arcee's techno-organic body shimmer and disappear, only to be replaced with the dazzling form of the exotic beauty from earlier.

Arcee opened her eyes and gazed seductively at Jack. Keeping her eyes locked onto his she suddenly performed a little _pirouette,_ giving Jack a good long look at her upgraded holographic form. She stopped turning and slowly moved towards him, slightly swaying her hips from side to side as she did so.

Jack gulped and began to blush furiously. He stammered, "S-so wh-wh-what happened to S-Sadie? Wh-why the _change…?"_

Arcee finally stopped directly in front of Jack, her bare toes just barely brushing against his own. Slightly taller than Jack, Arcee looked down into his wide eyes and smiled knowingly. She leaned down and gently rested her head against his chest. She could feel how quickly his heartbeat was racing.

 _Oh…so fast…_

She straightened up and wrapped her slender arms around Jack's trembling body and held him close before answering, "To be honest, Jack…I had gotten a little bored with Sadie's biker girl image. I decided it was past time for a change…" Arcee rolled her eyes and tittered musically, "…besides, that look was _so_ three years ago!"

Jack _humphed_ and muttered, "Well, _I_ still thought she was hot…"

Arcee giggled, "The upgrade allows me to alter Sadie's appearance any way that I desire, and so I decided to go with something a little more… _me."_

Jack studied Arcee's features intently. After a moment he said, "Y-you look _familiar,_ somehow…"

" _Oh…?"_

Jack nervously cleared his throat and said, "I can't put my finger on it…I don't know. Maybe I'm just imagining things but I'd almost swear I've seen that face somewhere before…"

"I suppose it's possible, but the odds against it would be _astronomical._ Sadie's new 'look' was created by incorporating millions of different combinations of human physical features." Feeling inexplicably insecure, Arcee suddenly asked, "Did…did I do a good job, Jack?"

Arcee stepped backwards and once again allowed Jack to have a full view of her new holographic body.

As before, Jack suddenly found it extremely difficult to breathe. He cleared his throat and rasped, "Ar-Arcee…? Are…are _clothes_ included with your hologram upgrade…?"

She smirked, "Poor baby. Hold on, I'm still getting the hang of this."

Arcee concentrated and instantly an elegant blue and gold ensemble of South Asian origin appeared and draped itself around her flawless form. A _choli_ or sleeveless bodice complimented her supple upper body, leaving the dusky skin of her midriff and lower back bare. From the waist down a _lehenga_ or long embroidered skirt flowed to the ground where her delicate feet were encircled by a pair of golden beaded sandals.

"There…you can _blink_ now."

"Th-thank you. It was getting pretty hard to focus..."

"So, what do you think?"

"W-wow, Arcee. Y-you look… _amazing."_

"You promise you're not just _saying_ that? I could always change my appearance if you're not - "

" _Arcee._ Seriously, it's perfect. I…I especially like the _jewel."_

Arcee's hand reflexively moved to touch the tiny shining stone near the center of her forehead.

"Oh, you mean my little _beauty mark?"_

Jack said shyly, "I think it's called a _bindi._ It's nice…it really adds to the brilliance of your eyes."

Arcee smiled, "Thank you, Jack. I had gotten kind of used to the look of it since the Matrix transformed me, so I figured why not go with a human body that could also show it off!"

A strange silence followed her words.

Finally Jack said sheepishly, _"Umm,_ listen…I should at least shower before we do anything. After walking around in the rain for hours, I could sure use one."

Arcee smiled suggestively, "Want some _company…?"_

Jack blushed, "I-I'll only be a couple of minutes. You just wait here and I'll be right out, o-okay?"

Before Arcee could react, Jack all but dashed into the bathroom and hurriedly closed the door. Arcee blinked for a moment, a strange sense of uneasiness settling upon her as she listened to the sound of the shower starting. She shrugged away the feeling and a sneaky smile formed on her face. She crept towards the bathroom, slowly opening the door and entering the tiny space without making a sound. Arcee grinned as she peeked through the shower curtain and shattered the relative silence by suddenly blurting out, "Mind if I _watch…?"_

Jack practically squealed, _**"ARCEE…!"**_

…

"Oh come _on,_ Jack…don't be _angry."_

As he pulled a fresh shirt over his head, Jack huffed slightly and insisted, "I'm _not_ angry, Arcee. I…I was just a little startled, that's all."

Still wearing her Sadie hologram, Arcee lay back onto the bed and cooed, "I'll make it up to you later, I _promise…"_

Jack swallowed nervously at Arcee's thinly-veiled offer as he combed his hair. He suddenly frowned at his reflection in the bathroom mirror and said, "I'm going to need a trim pretty soon."

Arcee quickly stood to her feet and approached Jack. Standing closely beside him, she raised her hands and slowly ran her slender fingers through Jack's mane of shaggy hair.

"I kind of like it, Jack. It's a good look for you."

Jack's eyes fluttered as Arcee continued with her soothing ministrations.

"R-really…? You think so?"

Arcee smiled, "Yes, I _do."_

Jack's breathing slowed as he stared deeply into Arcee's eyes. They felt themselves inexorably pulled towards one another until only a hairsbreadth remained between their lips. At the last moment Jack pulled back and murmured, "W-we'd better get going. It's starting to get _late."_

As Jack put on his shades, Arcee cocked an eyebrow but chose to say nothing…at least for now. The uneasy sensation was back and she knew _something_ was going on.

They made their way towards the door and stopped. Time stood still as they paused and prepared themselves for what lay ahead.

Almost to herself, Arcee said, "At least the rain finally stopped..."

Jack glanced over at Arcee and softly asked, "Ready…?"

Arcee nodded nervously.

Jack reached out and opened the door to the outside world.

Arcee breathed deeply and whispered, _"One small step…"_ before taking Jack's hand and tentatively walking over the threshold and out of their tiny room. Together they stepped into the light…into _Jack's world._

Gazing all around her in wide-eyed wonder, Arcee marveled at how noticeably different things appeared. It was even more obvious than when she was inside the motel room. Now she fully realized her human-sized perspective and how _tiny_ she was. The world had never seemed so overwhelming before. The experience was incredibly humbling to her.

There weren't many humans in the motel's parking lot. The ones there who had actually bothered to acknowledge Arcee's presence had not responded with fear or hatred, but instead with cordial nods of greeting and occasionally even a genuine friendly smile. Arcee blinked back tears as she saw that the humans didn't see her as an alien invader. They had wholly accepted her into their world.

Jack saw Arcee's eyes misting over and he asked with concern, "Hey, are you all right…?"

She smiled and wiped away her tears before answering, "I-I'm good. This is just…really nice. Thank you so much for being okay with this, Jack."

Jack returned her smile before replying, "It's no problem, Arcee. Listen, would you mind if we walked? That way we can take our time and you'll get to see more. You can enjoy the experience better."

Arcee nodded excitedly.

Jack smiled, "C'mon, let's go."

As they made their way through the small Midwestern town, Arcee was on cloud nine. She considered today a rare and fine gift. It was everything she had dreamed of, being able to appear in public with her beloved Sparkmate. She snuggled closer to Jack and held tightly onto his arm, thinking to herself that as long as she could do _this_ she couldn't be happier.

Jack turned to Arcee and said, "You know, there's a _mall_ not too far from here. Want to check it out…?"

"That sounds good, but I do have just one question."

"Sure, Arcee…what's that?"

"What's a mall?"

Jack blinked uncertainly at Arcee. An almost imperceptible smile slowly crept onto her lovely face before she began to laugh. Jack finally cottoned on that Arcee had been pulling his leg. He rolled his eyes in exasperation and guided his still-giggling companion towards the mall.

...

It was a relatively modest-sized cluster of interconnected buildings but there were still people everywhere. Arcee could not help but feel a little apprehensive. As they entered the mall, Jack did his best to reassure her, "You're going to be _fine,_ Arcee. Just stick with me and you shouldn't run into any - "

 _WHAM!_

"…problems?"

It happened so fast that Jack didn't even see it coming. A teenage girl wearing glasses and a loud purple t-shirt featuring a Canadian maple leaf had been intently speaking on her cell phone and hadn't noticed Arcee until it was too late. The two collided, slightly knocking both backwards. Instantly the girl began to apologize profusely.

" _Oh,_ gosh…! I am _so_ sorry! Wasn't watching where I was _going!_ Umm… _'sup?_ Hey, _wow!_ You look _spectacular!_ I absolutely _adore_ your outfit!"

Nervously Arcee replied, _"Th-thanks…?"_

The girl smiled brightly and turned to walk away, immediately resuming her phone conversation, "…so _anyway,_ I still can't _believe_ it! We're actually gonna get to see 'em in concert! I _know,_ right? Yeah, it'll be right around the same time as our annual get-together, so it'll be twice the awesome! Thank _God_ my Dad was able to get us advance tickets on his last business trip, _eh?"_

As he watched the girl leave, Jack blinked and murmured, "Well, that was…interesting."

…

Arcee quickly became absorbed in the hustle and bustle of the mall's interior. People from all walks of life went about their business.

As they pushed deeper into the interior of the mall, Jack and Arcee came across an indoor playground where the children could run free while the parents rested and patiently waited for their kids to wear themselves out.

Arcee was mesmerized by the sight. An unfamiliar pang of longing swelled from deep within her as she watched the little children at play.

Suddenly she felt a tiny impact against her knees. Arcee gazed down into the smiling face of a little boy not more than five years of age. He grinned up at her and giggled, "You're _pretty."_

Arcee beamed at him and replied, "Thank you, you're very sweet."

The little boy's mother quickly ran up and apologized, "Please excuse us! I'm so sorry if my son is bothering you…"

Arcee chuckled and said, "Oh, don't worry. It's no trouble at all. You have a beautiful child."

The mother smiled in reply, "Why, thank you so much. If…if you don't mind me asking, have we _met_ before? It's the strangest thing…you look very _familiar."_

Arcee shrugged, "I don't believe so. It's okay…this is actually not the first time I've heard that today. I guess I just have one of those faces."

"Well, it was very nice to meet you. Come on, Brody…it's time to go home."

As the mother and child walked away, Arcee gently rested her head on Jack's shoulder and whispered, "I want one of those."

Jack's eyes widened to epic proportions behind his shades. Arcee felt his body tense and become rigid as stone. She giggled, "Not right now…but _someday."_

Arcee felt Jack's hand reach for hers and their fingers slowly laced together. He squeezed affectionately and said, "We'll both know when it's the right time, Arcee. C'mon…let's have some fun and go shopping."

...

After learning the ropes, Arcee quickly became an experienced shopper. She knew the temperature outside had recently started getting colder, and so she helped Jack pick out a heavy black leather jacket that she knew would keep him warm. It didn't hurt that when she watched him trying it on, Arcee found Jack _irresistible._

They soon ended up in a store that specialized in intimate apparel, and Arcee was astonished that a few tiny scraps of fabric were capable of producing such interesting responses from her Sparkmate. She giggled as she was forced to drag Jack away, but not before secretly scanning several particularly alluring outfits and adding them to her hologram's clothing files. She would be sure to model them for Jack later, and looked forward to seeing his reactions.

Without meaning to, Arcee and Jack found themselves in a maternity clothing store. Arcee tentatively reached out and held up a maternity blouse up to her body before she glanced questioningly at Jack. He gazed at the love of his life and could not help but smile. Silently Jack wondered what Arcee would look like if she were pregnant. He chuckled inwardly, musing that maybe he _was_ ready to become a father.

From out of the blue, Optimus Prime's prophetic words came back in a rush to Jack. He remembered how the spark of the Last of the Primes had spoken about the shared destiny that lay before Arcee and himself, and how they were to be the progenitors of a new race of beings. Before Jack could ponder the subject any longer, he watched in dismay as his beloved Arcee's body suddenly slumped and began to fall to the floor.

Jack was a blur of motion as he managed to catch Arcee before she fell. Alarmed, he gently held onto her and guided her to a nearby chair.

" _A-Arcee…?"_

She sighed and chuckled, _"Whooo…_ now _that_ was _weird._ One minute I was fine and the next, the whole room started to spin. Before I knew what was happening I was falling."

Jack asked, "Have you ever felt this way before?"

Arcee shook her head, "No, _never._ Maybe it was too much excitement for one day…?"

"I…I don't know, Arcee."

Jack's stomach abruptly started growling.

"When was the last time you ate, Jack?"

He had to think for a moment before answering, "I think it was last night."

"What? You mean it's almost been a whole _day_ since you've had something to eat?!" Arcee suddenly began to rise to her feet. Jack tried to convince her to remain seated but she stubbornly refused and focused on his needs instead.

"Come on, Jack. Let's get you some food."

Jack protectively wrapped his arm around Arcee's waist in case she had another spell. She instinctively knew that he was concerned about her and the resulting warm feeling made her spark sing.

Fortunately the food court was just around the corner. Jack helped Arcee sit down at an empty table and he immediately joined her.

"Is there anything I can do for you, Arcee?"

She sighed, "Jack, I'm fine. Go on…get yourself a bite to eat. I'll be right here waiting on you."

"Well…okay. I'll be back in just a few minutes."

True to his word, Jack was only gone for a couple of minutes before he returned with a grilled chicken sandwich and a drink. He took a brief moment to say grace before he dug into his meal.

Arcee deeply breathed in the tantalizing aromas and murmured, "That smells so good…"

Jack glanced up and asked, "Arcee, are you absolutely _sure_ your new body can't eat anything? I mean, you never know until you try…"

Arcee paused for a moment before she attempted to explain, "It isn't something I can easily put it into words, Jack. When the Matrix unlocked an additional transformation within my body and gave me a third techno-organic form, I've since discovered that I possess a…sense of its inner workings. I'm fairly certain that not only is my new body incapable of ingesting human foodstuffs, it would be probably be very uncomfortable if I attempted it…maybe even _dangerous."_

Jack could immediately tell that Arcee was beginning to feel very isolated and alone from the conversation. He quickly reached out and held her hand.

" _Scrap,_ Arcee…I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean…"

Arcee smiled, "It's all right, Jack…please stop worrying so much about me."

Jack couldn't help but grin, "Yeah, _that's_ not going to happen anytime soon. Look, I want to make it up to you somehow…"

"Jack, seriously! It's _okay."_

Suddenly Jack clapped his hands together and looked excitedly at Arcee.

"I got it! Let's go somewhere where I know _I'll_ feel insecure and then we'll be _even!"_

Arcee shook her head and chuckled, "You're _crazy,_ Jack…you _do_ realize that, right?"

"I've got the perfect place in mind, too…a _dance club._ Like I once told Mom years ago, 'experience tells me I should _never_ cut a rug.' For _you,_ Arcee…I'll cut a _hundred_ rugs."

Arcee was especially touched that Jack would offer to do something that would make him singularly uncomfortable, all just to make her feel better.

"Jack, it's incredibly sweet of you to offer but I don't want to do that to you. Maybe there's somewhere we can go that would be a compromise?"

"I see where you're going, Arcee…you're talking about somewhere where we could meet halfway…somewhere where _everyone_ feels a little bit uneasy, but where we could still forget about our problems and just have some _fun!"_

As Jack futilely wracked his brain trying to think of the perfect place, Arcee absently glanced out the huge windows surrounding the food court. It was already getting dark outside, but she could easily see a destinctive building across the road where a large number of people were gathering. Curious, she looked closely and read the bright neon letters on the side of the building.

"Jack…? What's a _karaoke club?"_


	8. Chapter 8 - A DISTORTED REFLECTION

" _Jack, what in the name of Primus have you gotten me into…?"_

Arcee and Jack entered the _Soundblaster Karaoke Club_ and slowly took in their surroundings.

The interior of the club sported a mid-80's retro look with a pronounced emphasis on audio equipment for the surrounding decor. The tables were fashioned from an odd yet aesthetically pleasing combination of speaker cabinets that were painted jet black and polished chrome microphone stands. Huge fully functional speakers lined virtually every square inch of the walls, and behind the main stage was a monstrous mockup of an oversized cassette player.

The place was packed. What was most immediately apparent to Jack and Arcee was that the majority of the people in the club were wearing bizarre costumes. At first glance there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to the outfits, other than they were all highly unique and extremely well made.

Arcee was especially nervous with the people crowding around her. She had kept a brave face earlier in the mall but now her secret fears were finally beginning to show. Jack could see it and was trying to think of a way to assuage her apprehension. However he was distracted by the fact that Arcee was drawing a lot of attention from most of the men in the club, and several of the women as well.

As Arcee stared anxiously at the strange costumed people surrounding her, a girl with auburn hair sauntered by and stopped. She was wearing a costume and hat that seemed to be inspired by the Minutemen of the United States' colonial era. Strapped to her back was a replica of a sleek handheld catapult weapon for what appeared to be a tactical nuke emblazoned with the words _'Fat Man.'_ She casually lowered her sunglasses and looked intently at Jack, very obviously and deliberately sizing him up. Finally she smiled and said, "Nice jacket. Who are _you_ supposed to be, sexy?"

Arcee suddenly stepped in between them and stared down the girl. Icily she growled, "I'll tell you who he is, he's _mine!_ _Understand?!"_

The girl stepped back and contritely held up her hands, then grinned amiably and chuckled, "Whoa! _Easy_ there, girlfriend…I didn't mean any harm. Still, you gotta admit he's _cute._ You might want to hang onto him a little tighter tonight, just in case. If you're not careful _somebody_ might try to steal him away, _y'know…?"_ She then winked and turned away, moving to rejoin a group of her friends at a nearby table.

Jack blinked uncomfortably but could not help but notice that Arcee had wrapped her arm around his and was holding on very tightly and possessively.

As Jack continued to look around he began to recognize some of the outfits in the crowd. On a hunch he decided to confirm his theory. He reached out and gently tapped the shoulder of the nearest costumed bystander, who wore a bulky full-body suit of handmade yellow armor with bright red trim. The instant contact was made, the bystander in question abruptly whirled about to face Jack and loudly bellowed, _**"ALWAYS ANGRY! ALL THE TIME!"**_

Jack stammered, _"Wh-wh-what the scrap…?"_

Arcee and Jack found themselves slowly forced backwards until they realized there was nowhere left to go. The armored aggressor loomed menacingly for a moment but then began to shake with laughter. The helmet was removed, revealing to them a young bearded man with the most eye-watering red hair they had ever seen. He offered Jack his hand and said, "Sorry, dude…just messing with ya. _Bro-fist…?"_

Nervously Jack bumped fists with him and replied, _"Um,_ s-sure…bro-fist."

Jack attempted to collect his thoughts as he watched two people dressed as Mario and Luigi walk by. They began to speak with another couple who were dead ringers for Scorpion and Sub-Zero.

"This is a party from a gamer convention, isn't it?"

The armored Angry Marine smirked and replied in a sarcastic monotone, "What gave us away? Listen, I gotta go meet up with some friends. I'll see ya around, yeah?"

As they watched him leave, Arcee whispered, _"'Gamer convention…?'"_

Jack shrugged and explained, "Videogame fans sometimes get together and have big gatherings like this."

Arcee asked, "This is _normal_ human behavior?"

"More often than you'd think, Arcee. People are very passionate about gaming and they spend a lot of time investing themselves in the different game worlds."

"Don't they miss out on real life that way?"

Jack answered, "I guess that's _one_ way of looking at it, but what you have to understand is that not everybody looks at life the same way. Speaking from experience, gaming is just another way people can feel more in control of our lives. Looking back, if I hadn't have been able to pass the time playing games with Miko and Raf I would've worried myself _sick_ when you were away on missions. It helps add some stability, y'know? Plus, it can be a lot of _fun."_

Arcee asked, "So why the costumes?"

It's called _cosplay._ Sometimes people like to dress up as their favorite videogame character."

Arcee pressed him, "But _why…?"_

Jack rolled his eyes in mock exasperation and smiled, "I know I'm going to get an _earful_ for saying this, but you know how in comics and cartoons where superheroes conceal their true identities? It's kind of the same thing here in the real world. The costume is a _disguise,_ right? It's a way where people have an opportunity to step out and hang with people they normally wouldn't ever interact with. It's very _empowering,_ Arcee. They can just…be themselves.

Arcee pondered that for a long moment and finally said, "So you're saying that when people disguise themselves, they reveal their _true selves?"_

Jack replied, "Pretty much, yeah."

Arcee nodded, "I think I understand now, Jack. I have a lot in common with them, don't I? _Hiding in plain sight…?"_

Jack reached out and held Arcee's hand. He smiled, "It's called being _human,_ Arcee."

Arcee quickly leaned over and gently kissed Jack on the cheek. He immediately flushed bright scarlet and murmured, "Wh-what was _that_ for?"

Arcee answered, "Because you're so smart…because you know me better than anyone else…and because you rev my fraggin' _motor."_

Jack cleared his throat and stammered, "Ar-Arcee…I…y-you…hey, _look!_ There's an open table over there. _C'mon!"_

Arcee sighed, still not able to figure out why Jack seemed so distant and apprehensive around her. She resolved to discuss the issue with him the minute they were alone again and find out what was going on.

For the time being she settled for breathing in deeply as she sat down. She was finally beginning to relax. She felt more and more comfortable in the illusion of her new holographic human body, and tonight she was determined to enjoy herself. She turned towards the stage and listened as the announcer stepped up and began to speak.

"How's everyone _doing_ tonight?" The crowd cheered loudly in response. The announcer continued, "I'd like to take a moment to again thank the gaming conventioneers for choosing our humble little establishment to throw this little party. In recognition of the occasion, we have prepared a large selection of retro songs that should appeal to just about everybody! So what are you waiting for?! Let's all have a great time!"

Everybody cheered and soon people begin to approach the stage to sing karaoke.

…

After about an hour Arcee was really getting into it. She laughed and applauded, thoroughly enjoying one song in particular so much she whispered into Jack's ear, "I really, really _like_ this one, Jack! The words…they're so positive and encouraging! They make me feel like there's _nothing_ I can't accomplish!"

Jack grinned, "Stan Bush's songs are usually like that."

In spite of herself, Arcee began to sing along.

"… _It's in the blood, it's in the will…it's in the mighty hands of steel…"_

Much to Arcee's dismay, the song eventually came to an end. She frowned as the next song began. It had a much, much _quirkier_ vibe.

Arcee's expression was one of utter confusion. She leaned over and whispered, "Jack, this song doesn't make a _bit_ of sense. I'm an _alien_ to your world, and even _I_ know you don't stick your head in a microwave to give yourself a tan…!"

Jack chuckled, "What can I _say,_ Arcee? _Weird Al's_ got an interesting perspective on life!"

Arcee pursed her lips and sighed in frustration. Suddenly she got a fierce look in her shining eyes and said, "Let's _go,_ Jack."

Jack didn't bother to hide his disappointment.

" _What?!_ Aw… _c'mon,_ Arcee! We just _got_ here!"

Arcee smirked and leaned in very close to Jack's face. He gulped loudly as she took his hand and pulled him to his feet.

"I didn't say we were _leaving,_ Jack. I said let's _go…_ as in, _'let's go smoke these guys and show them how to really sing a song!'"_

Jack's mouth was wide open for a moment before he grinned, _"That's_ my girl!"

They made their way to the stage and stood in front of the karaoke machine. Arcee whispered, "Jack, I…I…what do I do now? I must have been _crazy,_ letting _you_ talk _me_ into this…!"

Jack did a surprised double-take as Arcee continued to mutter, "I've faced legions of marauding Decepticons, battled against a psychotic spider-bot, and even gone toe-to-toe with Megatron himself! I've stared death square in the optic more times than I care to remember…"

" _And…?"_

"…and I have _never_ been more nervous than I am right _now._ _L-look_ at me, Jack…I'm _trembling."_

Jack smiled and calmly replied, "That's what we call the _jitters,_ Arcee. You'll be fine once we get started."

"S-so what do we do, exactly?"

"It's easy. All you have to do is read the words that appear on the screen and sing them in time with the music when they're highlighted."

"Sounds simple enough…"

Jack quickly scrolled through the selection of songs. He asked, "Arcee, would you mind if I picked the song?"

Arcee replied, "Well…it was my idea to come here in the first place, so it's only fair if you pick."

"Thanks. Listen, Arcee…ever since you told me about that dream you had, I've been… _curious."_

"Curious about what…?"

"…about whether you're actually as good a singer as you _dreamt_ you were. I believe your exact words were, _'truly truly outrageous?'"_

Arcee smirked, "What can I _say,_ Jack? _The music's contagious."_

Jack's eyes suddenly lit up from behind his dark shades when he found a particular song by the hit band Coldplay. He grinned and said, _"That_ one."

Arcee looked to where Jack was pointing and repeated the song's title, _"'Sparks?'"_

Jack's smile was infectious.

" _Trust_ me, Arcee."

Arcee grinned, _"Always."_

They both took a deep breath before taking their microphones in hand.

Jack pressed _play_ and the soft strains of the song started. The audience immediately quieted down and listened intently as Jack and Arcee began to sing.

For the opening stanza Arcee couldn't help but smile sweetly at Jack. She had to admit that it was a beautiful song…one that almost seemed to have been written specifically about them. They grinned at one another, equally impressed with their respective singing prowess.

When the second stanza began, Arcee's voice caught and stopped in mid-song. As she read the lyrics appearing on the screen she suddenly realized the message behind them. She looked questioningly at Jack and gasped when she saw his expression as he continued to sing.

The remorse on Jack's face was evident for all to see. Arcee instantly knew that he had picked this song for a reason. She could hear the sorrow and regret in Jack's soft voice as it cracked with emotion. He poured his heart and soul into the words as once again he apologized to Arcee for what had happened earlier. A look of quiet but fierce determination appeared on Jack's countenance as he sang the closing words of the song, swearing an oath to Arcee that he would sooner _die_ than let her down again.

Finally the song ended. For several moments there was silence in the club, the only sound being the sniffling of people struggling in vain to hold back their tears.

Arcee whispered, _"Jack…_ d-did you mean…?"

Jack didn't hesitate for a microsecond as he murmured, "…every _word._ I _love_ you, Arcee. _God,_ I love you so much."

Arcee instantly leapt into his arms and cried out, "I-I love _you,_ Jackson Darby!"

The audience erupted in applause.

Jack hugged Arcee and protectively held her close to him. Blissfully happy, Arcee smiled and closed her eyes. Surely heaven couldn't be sweeter than what she was feeling right now.

That was when her legs suddenly buckled underneath her and she began to fall.

" _ARCEE?!"_

Jack cried out and immediately caught her in his arms, quickly helping her to a nearby chair.

She smiled weakly and managed to sit up. She chuckled, "I-I'm okay, Jack. It's passing."

"What _was_ it, Arcee…another dizzy spell…?"

She nodded, _"Stronger_ this time."

Without warning Jack's stomach growled menacingly. Arcee cocked an amused eyebrow and asked, "Are you still _hungry,_ Jack?"

Jack winced, "J-just the _opposite,_ Arcee…I-I guess I was more nervous about tonight than I _thought…!"_ His pained expression suddenly became more obvious as his stomach rumbled again, much louder this time.

Arcee's eyes widened as she quickly understood.

" _Oh!_ Sorry, Jack! Sounds like you'd better _hurry!"_

Tiny beads of sweat began to appear on Jack's forehead as he stubbornly remained by her side.

"I'm not _leaving_ you, Arcee! Not when you…!"

She shook her head and interrupted, "I'll be _fine,_ Jack! _GO!"_

Jack only hesitated for an instant longer before blurting out in a single rushed breath, _"ThankyousomuchI'llberightbackArceeIloveyou!"_ before dashing towards the nearest men's restroom.

Arcee could not help but giggle.

 _Poor thing…I can't imagine what it must feel like, having to flush your internal systems like that…_

"I thought he'd _never_ leave."

At the sound of the unfamiliar voice, Arcee turned and frowned. A muscular human male who seemed overly sure of himself stood nearby and leered at her. Instantly disliking him, her eyes narrowed as she replied, "Can I help you?"

He smirked, "I was hoping maybe we could help _each other,_ beautiful. My name's _Rick._ And you are…?"

"… _not interested._ Get lost."

"Aw, don't be like _that!_ Hey, I just noticed…you look awfully _familiar._ You kinda remind me of some chick I've seen on TV or a movie or something. What was her name again…? Sunny…? Sammi…? Sam…uh…Lee? _Something_ Lee…"

Arcee sighed, "Yeah, yeah… _still_ not interested."

Rick refused to give up, "Listen, you were pretty _hot_ up there…c'mon, let me at least buy you a _drink."_

Another intense wave of dizziness chose that particular moment to hit Arcee, threatening to overwhelm her.

 _Primus, what is_ wrong _with me?_

She struggled to remain conscious as she shakily answered, "I d-don't…I don't drink."

Oblivious to her current state, Rick shrugged, "That's cool…must be against your _religion,_ huh?"

When no answer was immediately forthcoming, he looked down at his cell phone. After a moment he smiled confidently before looking back at Arcee. Rick motioned towards Arcee's jewel and said, "Hey, wicked _bindi._ That's supposed to symbolize Hindu culture, right? Isn't it also like, uh…a major nerve point or _chakra_ or something…" He risked another glance at his phone and quickly added, "...called the _Seat of Concealed Wisdom?"_

Arcee did not have the strength to laugh in his face. She settled for shaking her head incredulously, "Did…did you seriously…just _Google_ all that…? G-get a clue, _Rick!_ I'm here with someone, _okay?!"_

Rick scoffed, "What, the skinny little guy you came in here with? Looks like he's making _other_ plans…!"

" _Wh-what?"_

Arcee looked up and saw where Rick was pointing. Through a blurred haze she could see that Jack had already emerged from the restroom and was currently engaged in casual conversation with several giggling human females. One of them was the auburn-haired girl who had flirted with him earlier.

" _Why, that little - !"_

Arcee snarled angrily as her jewel flared bright red.

Rick blinked nervously, _"Whoa…_ I didn't know they could do _that!"_

Jealousy surged through Arcee's spark and obliterated any trace of common sense. Arcee suddenly turned to Rick and said, "You know what…? I'll _take_ that drink."

Rick grinned, _"Now_ we're talking! Maybe after that we can ditch these losers and have some _real_ fun!"

He went to the bar and quickly returned with two shot glasses of an amber-colored liquid. He set hers in front of her and downed his in a single gulp. Anxiously she stared at it for a moment.

 _Surely one little drink won't hurt._

Her hands trembling slightly, she tentatively reached out and picked up the glass and brought it to her lips. She closed her eyes and held her breath, finally swallowing the drink.

Arcee opened her eyes. Everything seemed to be fine.

Then the pain hit.

It was as if her insides were on fire. The burning sensation spread rapidly from her abdomen and within seconds her entire body was in agony. Her internal mechanisms began to seize up as she doubled over, coughing and choking helplessly.

Rick didn't have time to react as Arcee bodily pushed him out of the way and bolted for the restroom. In a rush she ran past Jack.

" _A-Arcee…?!"_

She managed to make it inside an open stall and closed the door just in time before her body violently rejected the drink. Falling to her knees, she held onto the edges of the toilet and she painfully vomited up the liquid. When it was finally over she remained there and panted breathlessly for several minutes.

In the neighboring stall there was another woman who had already had too much to drink. She stumbled out and slurred, _"Y-you okay in there, sweetie…?"_

Arcee murmured, "I…I'm fine, thanks for asking."

She slowly stumbled to her feet and tried to catch her breath. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so _drained._

Arcee opened the door and took a tentative step, followed by another. Finally she emerged from the restroom stall.

The other woman's bloodshot eyes widened fearfully and she began to scream.

Arcee didn't understand what was happening or why the woman was screaming until she happened to glance at her reflection in the mirror. She realized that when she got sick she had temporarily lost control of her Holocloak, revealing her true techno-organic body.

Arcee panicked. She drove her fist into the mirror, cracking and splintering its surface. A distorted reflection of her features stared back at her.

The woman continued to scream a steady sawing shriek of terror. Arcee slowly held up her hands as a non-threatening gesture, attempting to get the woman to calm down. She tried to say something but found that she could barely speak. Her strength all but vanished and she fell to the floor. The woman screamed again and ran out the door, leaving Arcee alone.

"Th-there's some kinda _monster_ in there!" the woman cried. Other patrons became curious and they began to crowd around the restroom door. Club employees heard the commotion and started to make their way there as well.

Jack instantly realized that something had happened and he reached for the restroom door. He suddenly felt a big hand grab his shoulder.

Rick smirked, "Out of the way, _punk._ You had your chance and I - "

Jack's eyes flashed angrily from behind his shades. He barely shrugged and Rick went flying backwards, colliding with a certain Angry Marine.

The armored warrior turned and shouted, _**"ALWAYS ANGRY - !"**_

Rick pushed him roughly to the ground and arrogantly sneered, "Get lost, _nerd."_

An intense-looking young fellow dressed as _Metal Gear's_ cyborg warrior Raiden reached down to help the Angry Marine to his feet. He glared at Rick and growled in a thick Scottish brogue, _"HAWL!_ Mate, if'n ye think yer gonnae be jus' walkin' away like Bob's yer uncle then yer _rang._ _Ah'll_ take ye a square go, mate! Ye wanna ripped jaw…? 'Cause so far that's wit ye'll be gettin' fer yer _Tea!"_

Confused, Rick mumbled, _"Wh-what…?"_

"He said you _really_ shouldn't have done that."

Rick turned and faced a huge crowd of costumed gamers.

They were _pissed._

A tiny bead of sweat trickled down Rick's face as he countered, "Y-yeah? What are _you_ geeks gonna do?"

The auburn-haired girl slowly removed her Minutemen General's hat and cracked her knuckles before she snarled, "You mess with _one_ gamer…you mess with _all_ of us. _IT'S TABLE-FLIPPING TIME!"_

Chaos briefly engulfed the club as the gamers swarmed around the hapless bully. The club employees had seen everything that had happened and looked the other way as Rick was forcefully thrown out of the club.

Jack had taken advantage of the confusion and entered the restroom, locking the door from the inside.

He whispered, _"Arcee."_

Arcee lay sprawled on the restroom floor. Her normally polished metallic form had a dull, flat appearance. She was not moving.

Jack immediately knelt by her side and gently held her in his arms, cradling her head in his lap. He took his shades off so he could see her better.

Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled at the sight of him.

"J-Jack…I-I'm so…weak…"

" _Shh…_ t-try not to talk, Arcee."

There was a sudden and insistent knocking at the door. Arcee managed to smirk and murmured, "Wh-why is it…whenever we're out in p-public…people are… _always_ …t-trying to knock down…the fragging _door…?"_

"A-Arcee…"

"I…I think…I finally figured out…wh-what was causing…my dizzy spells, Jack…"

"You…you do?"

She nodded and whispered, "The _Holocloak."_

" _What - ?"_

"R-Ratchet was right…after all…h-he warned me…it would use up…Energon…much f-faster than normal…"

Jack could hear the employees' frantic voices on the other side of the restroom door, urging him to open the door so they could help. He squeezed his eyes shut and ignored them. There was nothing _anyone_ could do. He cursed himself for not thinking to bring along any emergency Energon.

"I-I don't understand, Arcee…why would you willingly put your life in danger like this?!"

She attempted to smile, "G-guess…I lost track…of time…w-was so…excited…to be part…of your w-world…y-you were right, too…Jack…t-time flies…wh-when…you're having…fun…a-and I…had so much fun…w-with you…today…"

"Arcee? D-don't _talk_ like that. Y-you - "

" _J-Jack…? I-I love…you…"_

Arcee's glowing eyes and microfilament hair began to flicker and grow dark.

Jack cried, "Arcee…? ARCEE, _NO!"_

His eyes suddenly flared like twin stars and Jack's body began to glow. Primal, life-giving energy flowed from within Jack and flooded into Arcee's dying spark chamber. Within seconds, she was fully recharged.

Her eyes snapped open and wonder danced across her lovely features. She gasped, _"Jack…?_ Wh-what did you…what just _happened…?"_

The hammering increased and it quickly became obvious that the club's employees were about to break through the restroom door.

Jack looked deeply into Arcee's shining eyes and asked, "C-can you - ?"

Arcee nodded once before re-engaging her Holocloak. At the last second she quickly reached out and picked up Jack's shades, gently placing them over his glowing eyes just as the door was forced open.

Jack tenderly held Arcee as he looked back at the curious onlookers and smiled, "Sh-she's okay, guys. She's going to be okay."

…

"Well, _this_ has been an interesting day…"

Jack and Arcee slowly entered their room at the _End of the Road Motel._ Jack closed the door behind them and removed his shades, throwing them onto a nearby table. Arcee did not reply and stopped with her back facing Jack. There was a long, uncomfortable silence as Jack mentally replayed the night's events.

The club's employees had wanted to throw Jack and Arcee out, but almost immediately the huge throng of gamers leapt to their defense. Eventually the club's manager decided to forgive and forget for their inadvertently causing the brouhaha. All the gamers had a great time and planned to meet again the following year at the same club. Jack and Arcee were even invited to attend as special guests of honor for helping make it such a memorable evening.

"Jack…we need to _talk."_

"O-okay…um, look, Arcee…"

She turned and held up a hand, cutting him off, "Stop right there. Don't say another word before I say what I have to say."

"Y-yes, ma'am."

"…and _don't_ use that tone with me, Jack. I'm _not_ your mother, I'm your _Sparkmate."_

Jack nodded mutely.

Arcee hesitated only a second before demanding, "Am I not _good enough_ for you, Jack?!"

"Wh-wha - ?"

" _NOT FINISHED YET!"_

"S-sorry…"

Arcee huffed and whispered, "I'm not _stupid,_ Jack. I _saw_ how you were looking at those…those _girls_ in the club tonight." Arcee realized she was crying and angrily wiped the tears that had formed in her shining eyes. Suddenly embarrassed, she muttered, _"Scrap."_

She looked into Jack's eyes and murmured, "I…I don't _understand,_ Jack. I know I'm not _human_ like you, but I want you to be happy. That's the main reason I upgraded Sadie's hologram, so I could appear human for you…b-but ever since you've just been so nervous around me…so _distant…"_

"Arcee, I - "

"WHY ISN'T THIS _WORKING?!_ I'M A _TRANSFORMER,_ JACK! I CAN BE ANYTHING YOU WANT ME TO BE…!" Arcee suddenly engaged her Holocloak. Instantly her gleaming techno-organic form was replaced with the exotic South Asian beauty. Arcee's eyes narrowed with fervent intensity as she concentrated and said, _"…anything."_

Her holographic shell began to morph and transform. Within seconds a new form stood before Jack…a statuesque blonde haired woman with fair skin. Arcee smiled faintly as she concentrated again. The form shimmered and a dark-skinned Amazonian woman with braided locks gazed intently at Jack.

"Just say the word, Jack. I'll _do_ whatever you _want,_ Jack… _be_ anything you want… _anything."_

"Arcee…p-please, stop."

Her form began to shift rapidly from one form to another…from Asian to Indian to Middle Eastern. Nationalities blurred and twisted as Arcee continued to transform appearances in a helpless frenzy.

Jack pleaded, "Arcee, stop! You don't have to _do_ this!"

Tears spilled from her eyes as she sobbed, _"…anything,_ Jack! Don't you _see…_ for you I can be anything…a-and _anybody!"_

Arcee transformed her holographic body into an exact copy of _Sierra._

Jack screamed at the top of his lungs, _"ARCEE! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD…STOP!"_

The hologram abruptly vanished. Arcee 's beautiful metallic form returned as she sank to her knees and wept openly. Haltingly she whispered, "J-just tell me, Jack…please. I-I can't live without you…"

Jack knelt before her and gently cupped her face between his hands.

"Arcee, can…can I be _honest_ with you?"

She nodded fearfully, dreading the next words out of Jack's lips.

"Listen, Arcee…please don't misunderstand me, Sadie's new body is _beautiful,_ but…"

" _B-but…?"_

"…but it's not _YOU."_

" _Wh-what…?"_

"Arcee, the reason I've been acting so squirrely today is because I-I just didn't feel like I was… _with_ you."

"Jack, I don't understand…changing my form is as natural to me as breathing is to you. I mean, I've _already_ got three different bodies…what's the problem with a few _more?"_

" _Because,_ Arcee…! I…I didn't feel like I was being… _faithful_ to you! It felt…wrong, whenever you got close. The thought of being…you know, _intimate…"_

"What? _Jack…"_

"Call me crazy, call me old fashioned…even though I know it's you underneath the hologram, it's just…not the _same._ I prefer you…the _real_ you."

"R-really…?"

"You've _ruined_ me, Arcee. _You're_ the one I fell in love with…a gorgeous fifteen foot tall alien warrior from another galaxy! Without a doubt, you are the most _stunning_ woman I've ever seen…not to mention you're the sexiest _motorcycle_ on two wheels!"

Arcee wiped at her tears and sniffed, _"K-keep going…"_

Jack chuckled, "How could I _ever_ want to be with anyone else but _you,_ Arcee? You're my _angel,_ remember?"

"J-Jack…stop making me _cry…"_

" _Oh…_ and as far as me speaking with those girls in the club? They were talking about _you,_ actually. One of them even asked me for your _phone number."_

Arcee's eyes widened for an instant before she closed them. She slowly shook her head and groaned, _"Primus…_ you must think I'm so _stupid."_

" _Never."_

Jack leaned in close and gently rested his forehead against Arcee's.

"I will love and cherish whatever face you choose to wear, because underneath the disguise I know it's you, Arcee. I just…prefer the real deal, that's all. Would…would you be okay if we didn't use the Holocloak again for awhile…?"

Arcee blushed and nodded.

Jack slowly pulled her into a loving embrace.

"Look…I-I'm really sorry, Arcee. I never meant for you to think my feelings for you had changed in any way. To be honest, I-I can't stop thinking about you and how _blessed_ I am to be your Sparkmate."

"Oh, _Jack…!_ Do…do you _mean_ that?"

" _I do, Arcee."_

A smile slowly formed on Arcee's lovely face.

"You _know,_ Jack…I never got a chance to finish telling you something…"

"What's that, Arcee?"

"Remember earlier when I told you that Cliffjumper was going to ask me to _sparkbond_ with him?"

Jack's shoulders slumped, a motion that didn't escape Arcee's attention. His expression fell as he whispered, _"Oh…that."_

Arcee reached up and tenderly caressed Jack's cheek and said, "I would have said _no,_ Jack."

" _W-wait, what…?"_

"I would have said _no."_

Arcee grinned reassuringly and continued, "It's true…I _loved_ Cliffjumper, but only as a treasured _friend…_ nothing more."

"But…but you said he - "

Arcee nodded, "I know. After that day I spent the next two weeks keeping my distance from 'Cliff. I knew I was going to have to break things to him gently…he always _was_ such a big softie…b-but I never got the chance. I was actually going to tell him the truth the day that he was ambushed…" Arcee wrapped her arms around Jack, her eyes shimmering as she said, "…the same day I met _you."_

"A-Arcee…"

"'Cliff will _always_ hold a special place in my spark, but _Jack…"_ Arcee's eyes welled with tears as she fixed her intense gaze upon Jack's own shining eyes. Her voice quivered with emotion as she whispered, "Jack… _you_ are my _life."_

Jack blinked rapidly and said, _"Scrap,_ Arcee…at this rate you're gonna make _me_ cry."

Arcee chuckled, "You _started_ it…after you felt me up in front of the K/O Burger years ago, I've been an emotional basket case ever since."

"S-sorry, Arcee…"

" _I'm_ not. You helped me to regain a lost part of my spark and showed me how to _feel_ again. I'm still a warrior, but because of you I've reconnected with the woman _inside_ the warrior."

Jack smiled, "So…basically what you're telling me is _you_ were worried that I didn't want to be with _you_ because you weren't _human…"_

"That's right."

"…and _I_ was worried that you didn't want to be with _me_ because I wasn't an _Autobot…"_

"Sure sounds that way."

"…and we _both_ had hang-ups about the people in our pasts."

Arcee nodded as she grinned, "Pretty sad, _huh?"_

Jack deadpanned, "You and I have got to be the most seriously messed-up couple of Sparkmates in the universe."

"Well, it's a good thing you're so _cute."_

"Yeah, I… _huh?!"_

Arcee suddenly laughed, the musical sound completely entrancing Jack…

…right until she _snorted._

She instantly clapped both hands over her mouth, her eyes as big as saucers.

Jack smirked, "Don't worry, Arcee. It just so happens that I think it's pretty _cute."_

Arcee playfully smacked his arm and Jack chuckled and leaned over to gently kiss her metallic lips. More kissing quickly ensued. After several increasingly-heated minutes Arcee finally came up for air and panted, "S-so…that was our first big fight, right?"

Jack nodded, _"That's_ for sure."

Arcee asked innocently, "Since it was our first fight, tell me something…what happens _now?"_

Jack grinned as he caught Arcee's knowing smirk.

"Arcee, allow me to introduce you to what we humans commonly refer to as _'making up.'"_

Jack suddenly kissed Arcee passionately and she moaned involuntarily.

"Are…are you sure this isn't _'making out…?'"_

Jack shrugged, _"Enh…_ in this case, same difference."


	9. Chapter 9 - CREATURE OF HABIT

" _Is it just me or does it seem like this desert goes on forever…?"_

Arcee growled impatiently, "You're _stalling,_ Jack. I want an answer and I want it _now."_

Jack sighed and attempted to focus, _"Uh,_ that big rock on the _right…?"_

Arcee laughed triumphantly, "HAH! _Wrong,_ Darby! It was the big rock on the _left!_ I win again!"

Jack's shoulders slumped in defeat as he shifted uncomfortably on the seat of Arcee's vehicle mode. He groaned, "Have a _heart,_ Arcee! We've been playing _I Spy_ for the last three hours straight! We're in the _desert!_ There're only so many things you can _spy_ when everything looks exactly the same! Look, can we _please_ change it up and do something different…?"

"Poor baby…can't take the heat, _huh?"_

" _Arceeeee…"_

"Oh, all _right…_ just as long as we don't visit another one of those scrapping roadside tourist traps!"

Jack nodded in agreement, "No argument here. Since we left Nevada I think we've stopped at just about every single one of those traps along the way. I mean, _Hoover Dam_ was cool and all but things started going downhill after that."

"Like when we stopped at the _Area 51 Alien Travel Center…?"_

"Don't _remind_ me, Arcee. You gotta admit, at first it sure _sounded_ interesting…"

Arcee snickered, "…yeah, right up until the moment you found out that it also doubled as a _brothel…!"_

Jack hung his head and sulked miserably as Arcee's sleek vehicle mode vibrated with her snorting laughter.

"Ha, _ha…_ glad you still think it was so _funny,_ Arcee. _Scrap,_ I must've looked like the world's biggest _idiot…"_

Arcee chuckled lovingly, "…and you're all _mine,_ Jack. By the way, please explain something to me. What is this bizarre fascination you humans seem to have with anything that claims to be the world's largest this or that?"

Jack smirked, "I guess we _have_ seen more than our share of crazy tourist attractions, _huh?"_

Arcee could barely curb her sarcasm, _"Oh,_ yes. The World's Largest _Tumbleweed_ was especially fascinating…"

"…don't forget the World's Largest _Brick,_ World's Largest _Ball of Paint,_ World's Largest _PEZ Dispenser…"_

"…World's Largest _Jackalope…?_ Come _on,_ Jack. I've encountered a lot of strange things in my day…but a _jackalope?!"_

" _Really,_ Arcee…? You're an autonomous robotic organism romantically involved with a human in what's probably the universe's very first cybernetic-organic relationship, and you think a _jackrabbit with antlers_ is crazy?"

Arcee huffed but said nothing in reply.

"Besides…if we hadn't been taking our sweet time on this little road trip of ours, we might've missed some of the more unique _\- and memorable -_ landmarks."

" _Mmm…_ you mean like that hidden oasis with the waterfall…?"

Jack smiled as he added, "…or the underground crystal caverns?"

Arcee sighed contentedly, _"Primus…_ those were both very, _very_ nice rest stops."

Jack blushed slightly from the simmering memories and said, "Yeah…if any land developers ever found out about some of the spots we've come across, they'd make a _fortune."_

"Well, it's a good thing those places are as isolated as they are, because I for one wouldn't object to a return visit on our way back home." Arcee mentally shook herself out of her reverie and said, "Jack? _Speaking_ of home…"

"Way _ahead_ of you, Arcee…" Jack tapped the side of his helmet and activated the built-in communicator. Within seconds of hitting speed dial there was an answer.

" _Hello? Darby residence..."_

Jack blinked in surprise at the unexpected voice, "Agent _Fowler…?"_

" _Jack! Good to_ hear _from you, son!"_

Suppressing a wince, Jack replied uncomfortably, "Um, y-yeah…you too. Listen, is-is my _Mom_ busy?"

" _She's right_ here, _as a matter of fact. Hold on, let me pass the phone to her. Oh, and don't forget…call me_ 'Bill!'"

Jack's brain was on overload as he attempted to process this newest change.

" _Hello, Jack?"_

"M-Mom…?"

" _What's wrong, Jack? What_ is _it?"_

"Mom, why is Agent Fowler _\- ugh…Bill -_ at our _house?_ Is he having breakfast there? Are-are you guys on a…" Jack gulped before forcing the word out between his tightly clenched teeth, _"…d-date…?"_

" _Now, Jack…don't you sit there and pretend you didn't suspect that_ something _had been going on between me and Bill. You've known ever since your high school graduation…you caught us holding hands, remember?"_

"Wait, how did you even _know_ that…?! Your back was facing me at the time!"

" _I'm your_ mother, _Jack. I have eyes in the back of my head. I see_ everything."

"Well, I don't like it. You two are moving _way_ too fast."

" _Oh,_ really…? _This coming from the eighteen year old boy who after being separated for a month from his alien girlfriend decided to_ elope _after seeing her for, what, maybe a day?!"_

The silence following June's words was deafening.

"That was a cheap shot, Mom."

Arcee chimed in, "And just for the record…I _am_ right here, June."

June audibly gasped. Several embarrassed moments passed before she managed to collect herself enough to speak.

" _I-I am very, very sorry…_ both _of you. I never should have said that. Jack, listen…I know that this is hard for you to accept and I appreciate you feeling protective of me but - "_

"YOU DON'T KNOW _ANYTHING!"_

Gripping the handlebars of Arcee's vehicle mode with an astonishing strength, Jack abruptly swerved off the highway. A roadside diner had appeared and Jack quickly pulled into its empty parking lot, skidding to a sudden stop. He immediately stood to his feet and climbed off.

Arcee demanded, "Wh-what the _scrap,_ Jack?!"

" _You_ try talking some sense into her, Arcee. I'm _done_ talking."

Jack removed his helmet and dropped it onto Arcee's seat. He placed his shades over his glowing eyes and briskly walked into the diner without uttering another word.

A warm morning breeze lazily blew a bouncing tumbleweed past Arcee. She remained absolutely still and said nothing, hoping…praying…

" _Ahem. Arcee…? Are you still there?"_

Nope. No such luck.

 _Scrap._

" _S-sooo…_ how are _you,_ June?"

…

A tiny bell jingled musically as Jack strode through the door to the diner. Feeling frustrated, he sighed and ran his fingers through his long hair as he took a moment to look around. The interior of the diner seemed oddly familiar, as if it had appeared out of a television sitcom.

As Jack was admiring the décor, an older woman wearing a pink uniform appeared from behind the counter. She grinned warmly and with a pronounced Southern accent she drawled, "Have a seat, sweetie. My name's Flo and I'll be your waitress today. Hope that's okay, 'specially considering I'm the only waitress _here!"_

Jack complied and all but collapsed onto a nearby stool. He sighed again and rested his face in his hands.

Flo watched him and smiled sympathetically, "That bad, _huh?"_

Jack replied with a muffled, "You have _no_ idea."

"Don't you worry, sweetie…whatever it is can't be any worse than the _food_ they serve here. So…what'll it be, hon?"

Jack slowly raised his head and managed a sheepish smile as he practically pleaded, "Coffee… _please."_

…

" _What am I going to_ do _with that boy, Arcee?"_

"Forgive me for saying this, June…but he's _not_ a child anymore."

June sighed forlornly, _"I…I know. You're absolutely right, he's_ not. _It's just hard for a parent to let go, especially for a single parent. I've just never seen Jack act this way before. Hold on, please. Bill…? Would you mind terribly if I spoke to Arcee in private?"_

Arcee could hear Fowler's voice in the background. _"No problem, June. I need to get back to the base anyway. I'll check in with you later."_

" _Be_ careful, _Bill. 'Bye."_

June waited until Bill had closed the door before she continued, _"So…any ideas about what's bothering him, Arcee?"_

Arcee silently remembered the heartrending fight that she and Jack had months ago. There was no doubt in her mind that Jack's strong sense of responsibility was the reason he continued to harbor intense guilt for what had happened between them. She kept these things to herself, however. Instead, Arcee decided to tell June what happened _next._

"Actually, I think I _do._ Jack recently started having these terrible dreams. _Nightmares,_ really…"

Nervously June asked, _"…about_ what, _exactly…?"_

Arcee knew this was not a subject to be casually brought up, but she pushed ahead and uttered the words, "…his _father."_

June paused for a moment before she whispered, _"Oh, no. Jack…"_

Arcee went on, "We…we don't talk about it much. I've done my best to respect Jack's privacy but…but lately he's been getting worse. A _lot_ worse."

" _In what way…?"_

…

" _Well…?"_

Jack took a long satisfied swallow and sighed, "Oh, that's _goooood."_

Flo chuckled, "Best coffee in the world, sweetie. Even _says_ so right there on the box."

"Thank you…you're a _lifesaver."_

"No problem, hon. And to think my Mama said I wasn't cut out to be no doctor!"

Jack continued to nurse his cup of coffee as Flo leaned against the countertop.

"So…been on the road awhile?"

Rubbing his fingers against his chin scruff, Jack nodded, "About four months now."

"I noticed your Nevada plates. Kinda young t'be so far from home, aren't you?"

Jack blinked nervously from behind his shades. Flo hastily added, "I'm sorry, I _know_ it's none of my business but after the way I watched you tear into the parking lot…" She shrugged, "I've got a daughter about your age. Mothers _worry,_ y'know? It's part of the job."

Jack felt a pang of guilt and said, "Listen…I apologize for worrying you, Flo. It's just that…my life's been a whirlwind for awhile now."

Flo grinned, "I'm _listenin'…"_

…

"He's not eating right, for one. It's been _weeks_ since Jack got any decent rest, and that's even _if_ he manages to fall asleep. He's moodier than usual, and you just got a small sample of how short-tempered he's become. I've tried everything I can think of, but so far nothing has helped. I-I'm out of my league here, June…what am I going to _do?"_

June's voice was heavy with emotion as she spoke, _"Arcee…I wish I could say this is the first time that Jack has had to deal with these dreams, but it_ isn't."

"It's _not?_ Precisely how long has this been going _on,_ June?!"

" _Ever since the breakup."_

Arcee swore, "Dear Primus…"

" _He used to have these nightmares every single night. I-I did my best but at the time everything around me was falling apart all at once. I didn't know what to do and got desperate, so before we lost it all I was able to scrape together enough money to hire a_ therapist _for Jack."_

"Did…did it help?"

" _I_ think _so…or at least it seemed like it did at the time. I had hoped and prayed that Jack would be able to get through it, but..."_ June sniffled, _"…but I guess there are some things in life we_ never _get over."_

Arcee understood that intimately.

" _Unfortunately, there's very little you or I can actually_ do, _Arcee. Jack has always been a responsible young man…sometimes to a_ fault. _There's a part of him that still feels the breakup was_ his _fault."_

"That's _crazy!_ He was just a _child_ when that happened!"

" _Oh, believe me…I know."_ June suddenly snarled angrily, _"Let me tell you something, Arcee…if my ex-husband was standing here right now I swear I'd_ pop _him one!"_

Arcee snorted, "I would _love_ to see that."

" _Yes, well…there's very little chance of_ that _happening. The truth is I haven't seen nor heard from him ever since that night years ago. He could be_ dead _for all we know. The only thing I'm certain about is this: Jack desperately needs some sense of_ closure _from this part of his life. He's coped with more heartache and hardship than most kids his age should_ ever _have to deal with. He has so many questions that need answering, but unless by some miracle Jack happens to run into his father while you two are travelling, the best thing we can do is to stand by Jack's side and be there for him when he needs us."_

" _Scrap._ I hate feeling so fragging _helpless._ I just…I wish I could do _more_ for him."

" _You know…one thing that always seemed to help Jack has been when he got the chance to reach out and help the needy. It tore him up inside whenever he saw people hurting, especially when they were going through problems similar to his_ own."

Arcee murmured, almost to herself, "As long as I've known him, Jack has always been very sensitive to the plight of others."

" _It's probably why Jack was so drawn to you in the_ first _place, Arcee."_

"Wh-what…?"

…

Jack chose his words carefully as he continued, "Well…right after I graduated high school, I found out that someone very close to me _…died."_ Jack's voice suddenly caught. He smiled sadly, realizing how much the loss of Optimus Prime still hurt.

Flo's heart went out to him and she asked, "Was that the reason you got on the road, then…?"

Jack smiled shyly and blushed, saying, "Not…not _exactly."_

Flo immediately cottoned on and grinned broadly, "Oh, _I_ see! It's a _girl,_ ain't it?"

Jack nodded.

"Long-distance relationship…?"

Jack chuckled, _"That's_ putting it mildly. For awhile, it seemed like…like she was in another _galaxy._ Didn't think I'd ever see her again, but _then…"_

As Jack looked fondly out the window at Arcee's vehicle form, Flo ventured, "So…you on your way to see her?"

Jack smiled a knowing smile, "S'funny…it's almost like she's with me right now." He sighed happily, "She's _amazing._ She makes me feel like I'm capable of anything…like there's _nothing_ I can't do."

Flo wiped away a stray tear and muttered, "Young love. Ought to be a _law…"_

…

" _You didn't know? Oh, Arcee…Jack has_ always _seen you as a kindred spirit. He took one look at you and immediately recognized someone who had also experienced great loss. You two had a lot in common with one another, in spite of your differences…and from what Jack told me it didn't take long after that for you two to_ bond…"

Arcee gasped in shock. For an instant June wondered why but then she realized the double meaning of her last spoken word. In a mad rush she attempted to correct her mistake.

" _When I say you bonded I didn't mean you had sex I just meant you became fast friends and by that I didn't mean friends with benefits oh God that's even worse I'm sorry I just meant that you became very close why in heaven's name am I still talking somebody please stop me!"_

It was everything Arcee could do to hold it in and not laugh her hubcaps off.

June finally snickered at herself and broke the tension.

" _Arcee? I'm really_ glad _you're there with Jack. I always could count on you to keep him safe."_

"June, may I ask you a question?"

" _Certainly, Arcee…what's on your mind?"_

Arcee hesitated briefly before speaking. This was the first time she had an opportunity to speak one on one with June, and she was extremely anxious at what she might say.

"Do…do you approve of me and Jack…you know, being _together…?"_

…

"Anyway, while I've been on the road my Mom recently started seeing this guy. He's okay, I guess…"

"You just don't approve."

Jack sighed, "It's not that. She…she's honestly _happier_ than I've ever seen her before."

Flo narrowed her eyes slightly as she grinned, "Sorry, I'm still waitin' to hear if there's a _problem."_

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Jack gave up and said, "Okay, okay… _enough_ about me, let's talk about you. Tell me about yourself, Flo."

Flo thought for a moment and asked, "Ever heard of _Primus, South Carolina?"_

To his credit, Jack's expression did not betray his surprise at the name. He merely shook his head.

"Not surprised. It's where I'm from, actually. Nice enough place, but nothin' ever _happened_ there. Years ago when I was about your age I felt like I was slowly being suffocated there. I had me some big dreams and I wanted to see the world, so first chance I got I hopped in a rusty old jalopy and hit the road. My plan was to make it to California, but my car had _other_ ideas. Poor thing broke down just down the road from here. Well…one thing led to another and I ended up working in _this_ classy joint, and that was about 30 years ago!"

Flo saw the look on Jack's face and her expression became gravely serious.

"Sometimes it just _happens_ that way. People can make a single decision that may not seem all that important at the time, and then one day they find themselves in a place they'd never thought they'd end up. We may _think_ we're in control but the truth is we _ain't._ Best thing we can do is try to make the best choices we can. That's _life,_ sweetie."

Jack nodded sagely, appreciating the wisdom of Flo's words and how they seemed to speak directly to his own churning thoughts and emotions.

…

" _Do you_ love _him, Arcee?"_

Arcee almost sobbed, "With all of my _spark…_ yes. Yes, I _do."_

June sighed loudly, as if a great weight had suddenly been lifted from her shoulders.

" _That's all I needed to hear._ Thank _you, Arcee."_

"Wait, that's _it?!"_

June chuckled, _"I'll be honest, it took a little getting used to the idea, but when I saw the look in Jack's eyes right before you two left Cybertron…"_

June's words suddenly trailed off.

Arcee listened closely and could just barely hear the sound of her softly crying.

"J-June…?"

"… _he was just so unbelievably_ happy, _Arcee! I can't even begin to put into words what I saw in Jack's eyes that day, but I can promise you_ one _thing. Nothing in this world or any other has brought more joy to my son's life than_ you, _Arcee. Don't you_ ever _forget that."_

"I…I won't. _Thank_ you, June."

" _You're_ welcome. _Look, I'd better let you go just in case Jack comes back anytime soon. You two have a lot to talk about."_

"Yes. Yes, we _do._ Good-bye, June."

" _Good-bye, Arcee. We can discuss you calling me 'Mom' another day. Talk to you_ soon."

Arcee ended the call just as another motorcycle turned off the highway and slowly pulled up alongside her.

…

"So is it always this quiet or do you ever have any traffic through here?"

Flo shrugged, "More often than you'd think."

As Jack drained the last of his coffee, the distinctive low rumble of a powerful engine suddenly thundered as a motorcycle slowly pulled into the space next to Arcee.

Flo smirked, "…speak of the _devil."_

The door opened and the tiny bell jingled again.

"Hey, how's it going, Flo?"

Jack froze, his entire body tensing and becoming rigid as stone.

Flo replied, "Well, my day _was_ lookin' pretty good before…least 'til I caught sight of _your_ ugly mug!"

"You always _did_ say the sweetest things, darlin'!"

A bead of sweat slowly trickled down Jack's forehead as all the hairs on his neck stood on end.

 _Th-that voice…_

"Been a long time, you old buzzard…"

"That's just how I am, Flo…I disappear for months or years on end, but then out of the blue I turn up when you least _expect_ it!"

Ten years.

It had been well over a decade, but for Jack the long years did not matter. It may as well have happened yesterday. The haunting memory of that night was still fresh in his mind…the pain he felt still raw.

"You want your usual?"

"You know _me_ …I _hate_ surprises. I'm a creature of habit."

There could be no doubt.

He was _certain_ of it.

There was absolutely no mistaking that voice…

…the voice of his _father._


	10. Chapter 10 - MILLION TO ONE

" _What in Primus' name is he DOING in there?!"_

Typically Arcee was _not_ a patient Autobot.

She huffed to herself for what seemed to be the hundredth time as she carefully adjusted the side mirrors of her vehicle mode, hoping to catch a reflected glimpse of her Sparkmate inside the roadside diner. Unfortunately no matter how much she struggled to see, the angle was all wrong and the only person visible was the waitress.

Jack was in there _…somewhere._

Briefly she considered using her Holocloak but realized that she was parked in plain view of the nearby highway. Vehicles were now whizzing by regularly and the risk of being discovered was simply far too great.

Arcee huffed again and resigned herself to a long uneventful wait. She tried to find comfort in the thought that at least Jack had some down time where he could hopefully relax.

…

Jack had never been so anxious in his _life._

Sweat poured down his brow in rivulets as he forced himself to remain seated. He attempted to appear focused on his cup of coffee while he strained to peer out the corner of his eye at the older man standing by the nearby window.

The man Jack believed to be his long-lost father stood silently as he gazed outside. He scratched his chin thoughtfully, seemingly pondering something.

Suddenly he turned and intently looked directly at Jack.

Behind his dark shades Jack's glowing eyes widened sharply. His already rapidly beating heart began to pound almost painfully fast. He breathed deeply and desperately fought to still his trembling hand as he drained the steaming contents of his cup.

The older man slowly walked towards him.

Jack prayed that he would ignore him and simply walk past.

He paused just shy of Jack.

Jack held his breath and time seemed to stop.

The tense quiet was finally shattered.

" _Kawasaki Ninja 250 R?"_

Jack stammered, _"Wh-what…?"_

The older man smiled and repeated, "Your motorcycle. It's a Kawasaki Ninja, right? No, wait…or is it an _Aprillia RSV 1000 R?"_

Jack blinked uncertainly and finally shook his head, saying, "Ah, neither. She-she's actually a custom model."

"Oh, yeah…?"

Jack nodded nervously, "One of a kind. There's not another motorcycle like her in the _world."_

" _Foreign_ job?"

Jack managed a small smile, "Um, yeah…from way, _way_ out of town."

The older man whistled softly in appreciation, "She's a _beaut,_ that's for sure."

"Thanks."

"Mind if I sit?"

"S-sure, help yourself."

He grunted as he sat down on the stool next to Jack's.

Jack's mind raced feverishly. For most of his life, he had wondered just how this meeting might play out. He had envisioned hundreds of different potential scenarios of what he might say or do. Carefully thought-out questions and painstakingly formulated responses had been endlessly crafted and revised over the years, but now that the moment was finally here Jack's mind was utterly blank. He had been taken completely off guard by the man's friendly and easygoing manner. He was finding it increasingly difficult to rationalize the man seated next to him with the troubling memories of the man who had cruelly abandoned him and his mother.

Could his father have changed?

Before Jack could ponder the situation any longer, the older man began to speak again, this time with a slightly wistful tone.

"Y'know, years ago a wise man once told me there's _'a mystical bond between man and machine.'_ " He looked pointedly at Jack and asked, "Is that the way it is with you and _your_ machine…?"

Jack couldn't help but smile, "You have _no_ idea."

" _HAH!_ I _knew_ it! You have a _look_ about you, kid. In fact, I see that same look every time I see my reflection in a _mirror."_

Flo refilled Jack's coffee and poured a cup for the older man. She muttered, "Oh, Lord. Here we go _again…"_

Ignoring her he continued, "Now see, there're two kinds of people in the world. There're all the ordinary schmucks in the world…no _offense,_ Flo - "

Flo rolled her eyes, "None taken, _smartass…"_

She turned to Jack and gently cautioned, "Don't you let him fill your head with any of his nonsense, sweetie. He'll go on for _hours_ if you let him." Flo winked and walked back to her seat where she began to read the morning news on her smart phone.

"Like I was saying, there're the _ordinary_ schmucks, and then there are the _bikers._ Bikers are cut from a totally different cloth than everyone else in the world. We know all _about_ that mystical bond! We understand what it feels like when we wrap our legs around a well-oiled piece of rugged machinery and hold on for dear life…when we take off like a bat outta hell and push everything past the limit…when we hug the road like a lover, cutting every corner close enough to draw _blood!_ You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about, _don't_ you?"

Jack nodded slowly. He couldn't deny it. It was true. He was wholly intimate with the irresistible feel of travelling the roads with Arcee. Even before they had bonded and become Sparkmates, they were always able to instinctively read one another's body language and sensed precisely how to react accordingly when hurtling along at blistering speeds. Together they were the perfect union of man and machine…in more ways than one.

Flo happened to glance up and watched curiously as the two men unknowingly became a mirror image of one another. In a single fluid motion of perfect synchronicity, they both reached for their respective coffees and took a long sip before setting their cups back onto the counter. Together they sighed contentedly, never noticing the odd symbiosis that had just occurred. Flo cocked a bemused eyebrow before finally shrugging and turning back to her news.

Still staring down at his cup of coffee, Jack's eyes occasionally darted to his side as he stole glances at his estranged father. He was older and grayer but Jack definitely knew it was him. However, it was painfully obvious the older man didn't recognize _him._ A small childlike part of Jack had always hoped if he ever saw him again he would instantly know who he was. The older, more rational part of Jack knew that well over ten years of separation would make it difficult if not impossible for anyone to recognize a person who was only a young child at the time.

Uneasy frustration warred with a desperate desire to understand the man. Ever since his fight with Arcee months ago and how in a moment of emotional turmoil he had left her all alone, Jack had become obsessed with comprehending his father's motives for abandoning his family. He shuddered, the dark memory of what he had done to his Sparkmate still gnawing at him. Jack had taken full responsibility for his actions, but he still ached to understand _why._

Jack had always assumed that his father simply couldn't handle the responsibilities and had run, but what if he was wrong? What if there was something more, some unknown reason for leaving? Having once been in the same position as his father, Jack now questioned his earlier assumptions.

Maybe he was _afraid_ …afraid of not being a good enough husband or father…afraid of letting his family down…afraid of being a failure. Maybe the fear that gripped him was what drove him away. Maybe _\- just maybe -_ he left because in his mind, he was actually protecting his family from _himself._

When Jack was still a child, June had demonstrated the importance of being able to forgive and forget. He had forgiven his father years ago, but he had never once _forgotten._

Jack knew in his heart that he had been blessed with a second chance with Arcee. In this million to one opportunity he had been given with his father, Jack knew it was finally time to let go of the past.

Hesitantly at first, Jack said, "I…I've always felt like riding a motorcycle is one of the most liberating things a person can do. When you let yourself go on a long stretch of road, it suddenly doesn't matter what life throws at you. It could be problems at school or home or your job, but you leave them all behind and you feel… _free."_

The older man immediately agreed.

"Motorcycles are one of the ultimate expressions of freedom. When you mount one of those babies and cut loose, there's not a damn thing you can't outrun."

Jack chuckled, remembering all the times he and Arcee had left the Decepticons in the dust.

The older man smirked, "Not bill collectors, not cops…and definitely not _ex-wives."_

Jack immediately stiffened.

Oblivious to Jack, he laughed and continued, "Now _there's_ a story…"

Jack channeled his inner calm as he listened.

"About twenty years ago I met this girl. She was a _looker,_ let me tell you. Well…we hit it off and had a few laughs together, but then she went and did something crazy. She fell in _love_ with me."

Flo quietly refilled both their cups and returned to her favorite spot, pretending not to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Hell, I've always known I was bad news but _June_ \- that's her name, by the way - June claimed she saw something _special_ in me…"

Flo muttered loudly enough to be heard, "She must have some really good eyesight to see something _that_ small…"

The older man huffed and continued, "Anyway, we got married. I thought…I dunno, maybe she was the one person who understood me." He snorted, "I shoulda known better."

Jack asked, "Wh-what happened?"

"She went and got _pregnant,_ that's what happened! She said it was a blessing from on high, but I knew it was gonna be nothing but trouble. I tried to convince her to go to the doctor and get an abortion but June wouldn't _hear_ of it."

Jack squeezed his eyes shut and tried to control his seething emotions.

"Well, she had the baby and that's when everything _really_ started to go south. June said it was my _responsibility_ to help take care of her and her kid…a kid I didn't want in the _first_ place! The whole damn mess was all _her_ fault…her and that snot-nosed _brat!"_

Flo noticed that Jack's face was slowly turning red, his mouth tightening into a grimace. She realized something was wrong and quickly tried to change the subject, "All right, all right…I think we've heard _enough_ for one day."

"C _'mon,_ Flo…I'm just gettin' to the _good_ part!"

"Seriously, I think you'd better _stop…."_

The older man's eye twitched angrily, "When I'm _finished,_ Flo."

Flo glared at him for a moment and finally shrugged, "Your funeral."

" _Whatever._ So anyway, it all hit the fan one night. I remember there was this big storm, and I had just gotten home after having a few beers at the bar. Soon as I opened the door, there was June…still waiting up for me. She got up in my face and wanted to know where I had been all night. I told her it was none of her business and that's when she smelled the booze on my breath. She got mad as hell and told me she couldn't keep supporting us all by herself…said she needed my _help._ Then she said that I couldn't keep ducking my responsibilities and _that's_ when I lost it."

There was absolutely no remorse in the older man's voice. In fact, there was a certain and unmistakable note of pride as he actually _smirked_ at the memory.

"I reared back and _hit_ her…hard as I could."

Jack's hand twitched and the coffee cup he had been holding suddenly cracked slightly. He took a deep breath, hoping and praying that this was all nothing more than a bad dream.

Flo snapped, "All right, that's _enough_ out of you!"

"Why? What is your _problem,_ Flo?!"

Flo loudly admonished him, "Are you that _blind?!_ You're _upsetting_ the boy!"

Jack looked up from his coffee. In an eerie monotone he murmured, "No, no…it's okay. Actually, I'd like to hear the rest of what he has to say."

Flo started, "Y-you _do…?"_

Jack sipped his coffee nonchalantly, a strange, detached look on his face. He had made it this far, and he wanted to know the whole story.

"Sure. What happened next?"

Grinning proudly that he had such a receptive audience, the older man immediately picked up where he left off, "Well, I figured it was way past time for me to move on so I started packing my stuff. That's when her kid shows up at the doorway. He started crying and June told him that _he_ was going to have to be the man of the house now."

He laughed callously before continuing, "'Man of the house'… _that's_ a laugh. Kid won't ever amount to a damn thing."

Flo felt sick. She closed her eyes and slowly shook her head.

Uncaring, he went on, "I knew unless I wanted to pay child support or do any jail time, I'd have to disappear. Lucky for me, I knew the right kind of people who helped me drop off the radar for awhile. A few fake IDs made all the difference in the world, and I always managed to stay at least one step ahead of everyone else. I've never been caught and I never _will."_

Immensely pleased with himself, he chuckled, "Pretty good story, huh? Whaddya _think,_ kid…?"

Jack's trembling hand suddenly clenched into a fist. His coffee cup shattered.

"Want to know what _I_ think? I think you finally got _caught…"_

With the speed of a striking cobra, Jack's hand shot out and grabbed the older man's throat.

"… _Dad."_

The older man's bloodshot eyes widened as he coughed and wheezed, trying desperately to catch his breath. Somehow he managed to choke out the word, _"J-J-Jack…?!"_

"You should always be careful and not talk to strangers. These days you never know _who_ you might run into."

The older man viciously backhanded Jack in an effort to make him lose his grip, but all he succeeded in was knocking off Jack's dark shades. He gasped in terror and stared as Jack stared back with his glowing, burning eyes.

"So _tell_ me, Dad…do you think I've amounted to a damn thing _now?"_

Jack smiled mercilessly and began to _squeeze._

Flo screamed.

"I _told_ you to knock it off! _Now_ look what you've gone and done!" Quickly she got a clean cloth and attempted to stop Jack's hand from bleeding. Furiously she continued berating Jack's father, "You've upset this poor boy so much he-!"

Jack calmly murmured, "Don't worry about it, Flo…I'm _fine._ Sorry about the mess."

He inhaled deeply and exhaled a shaky breath, the nightmarish imaginary scene still fresh in his mind's eye. Jack's thoughts were a whirling maelstrom of questions. Was it possible that he could he just…lose it like that? Does he have _that_ dark of a side? Exactly what was he _capable_ of?

Jack's thoughts were interrupted by a guilty mutter, "Aw, geez…I'm sorry, kid."

Unbelievably, Jack began to laugh…a low, mirthless chuckle. After a moment Jack stopped and sniffed, staring directly into the confused eyes of the elder Darby.

"Ten years…I have waited over ten _years_ to hear you say 'sorry,' and now that I've finally heard it…" Jack chuckled again and slowly shook his head, "It's really kind of anticlimactic…"

The older man wasn't sure what was going on but he knew he definitely didn't like it. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out.

Jack saw the confusion in his father's eyes and said sadly, "You really don't _know,_ do you…?"

Something in his words made Flo stop and look - really _look_ \- closely at Jack. She then looked at the older man seated next to him and back again. Her eyes suddenly widened like saucers and her hand reflexively covered her mouth as she realized the shocking truth.

"Oh, my dear _Lord…"_

All of Jack's questions had finally been answered.

He calmly looked at his father and saw him for what he truly was. There was no good or noble reason for what he had done. He had abandoned his family because he was utterly selfish and was unwilling to take responsibility for anything. The only one in the world he cared about was himself. He would never know what he had so thoughtlessly and casually given up, and nothing that Jack said or did would ever change that.

At that moment Jack felt nothing but heartsick pity for the man.

With the newfound understanding came a bright and piercing clarity, one that cleansed Jack of any lingering doubts about himself. He was filled with the unfamiliar sensation of relief, now knowing that he was incapable of becoming the man his father was. For that, he said a heartfelt prayer of thanks.

He was _free._

Jack stood to his feet and said, "Well…I think it's time for me to move on."

The older man offered, "Uh, listen…let me pay your tab. Figure it's the least I could do."

Jack smiled and shook his head, "No thanks, I've got it. My mom _always_ taught me to be responsible, and I wouldn't want anybody thinking I wasn't raised up right, y'know?"

He quickly paid for his coffee and left Flo an extremely sizeable tip. Jack glanced back at his father.

"Besides, I've been the man of the house for about thirteen years now and I think I turned out just _fine."_

The older man's face went ashen.

" _Wh-what'd you say your name was, again…?"_

Jack sad smile faltered as he answered, "I _didn't."_

He turned to Flo and graced her with a beaming, loving grin.

"There must be at least _some_ truth in advertising…that really _was_ the best coffee in the world!"

Flo shrugged and chuckled, "Says so right on the box." Concern lined her features as she asked, "Are...are you going to be okay, hon?"

"Better than I have in a long time, thank you." Jack smiled and murmured in amazement at his own words, "I'm… _happy."_

Flo surprised herself by reflexively reaching out and hugging Jack. He chuckled and returned the embrace.

Jack said, "Look, I want to thank you for listening and for everything you said. You're a wise woman, Flo. You may not be a doctor but you definitely helped me pull through this."

Flo sniffed and wiped her eyes as she grinned, "Wait till I tell my Mama."

Jack laughed and said, "I better go. I've got a very important date with a lady who needs to hear just how much I love and appreciate her."

"She's a very lucky girl."

"She's my _angel."_

"Don't keep her waiting too long. Drive safely, hon."

"Take care, Flo."

Jack opened the door. The tiny bell jingled and he paused.

Looking back one final time he smiled and nodded.

"See you…Dad."


	11. Chapter 11 - BORN WORLDS APART

" _I think I've died and gone to Heaven…"_

Night had fallen in a remote mountainous area. The glittering stars flickered in their valiant attempt to outshine the brilliant glow of the full moon. Together they cast a soft light down upon a mysterious fissure in the ground. It was virtually invisible, concealed by the dense forest of surrounding trees. If anyone had been fortunate enough to discover the jagged crack in the earth, were they to peer down into its depths they would find it had already been discovered.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? Small wonder we were ever able to _find_ this place…"

Jack nodded in hushed agreement as he continued to help Arcee quietly investigate the underground grotto. Above ground it appeared to be nothing more than a modest opening in the earth, but just below the surface lay hidden an enormous cave. The Sparkmates realized it had been excavated by the Decepticons long ago in their manic search for Energon deposits.

Tiny fragments of Energon still embedded in the cavern walls twinkled like tiny stars and created a tranquil, almost ethereal radiance. A large natural hot spring bubbled up from the center of the cavern, filling the cool night air with a hazy cloud of steam. Somewhere below the shimmering waters an eerie glow shone, the refracted light illuminating the entire grotto.

Arcee finally relaxed slightly and retracted her blasters before sitting down at the water's edge. She cautiously remained in her larger default body, at least for the time being.

"Doesn't look like anyone has been here for _years,_ Jack…I think it's a safe bet that we're alone."

Jack shivered in spite of himself, thankful that Arcee had persuaded him to purchase the heavy leather coat months ago. He hadn't expected the weather to get so blasted _cold._

"What do you think is causing the water to glow, Arcee?"

She answered, "There's probably an underground Energon deposit that the Decepticons missed somehow."

Jack crouched and skimmed his fingers along the water's surface.

"Can't believe how warm the water is...it's like a _sauna_ in here." Jack looked up at Arcee and asked, "Do you think it'd be safe if I took a little swim?"

She said. "Normally Energon is dangerous to humans, but I wouldn't worry about it, Jack. Since the power of the Matrix transformed your body, I'm pretty sure you should be _more_ than safe."

Jack grinned excitedly, _"Awesome."_

He quickly began to strip but suddenly paused. He glanced back at Arcee and caught her gazing intently at his body with obvious appreciation and more than a little longing. He chuckled and winked before he finished undressing. Without another word he plunged into the waters.

He splashed his head out of the pool and laughed happily, "Man, this is _great!_ Never had my own hot tub before…"

Arcee smiled, "You're going to be _freezing_ when you come out of there…"

Jack chuckled, "Who says I'm ever leaving?"

Arcee sat silently as Jack swam a couple of laps. He paused and whipped his hair back, huffing with exasperation. He complained, "I'm not used to my hair being this _long._ What is it now, almost shoulder length…?"

Soothingly Arcee responded, "Jack, I'm telling you it looks really good. I _promise,_ baby."

He chuckled, "Okay, okay…I'll leave it alone." He muttered, "I'm starting to wonder if you have a 'thing' for guys with long hair." Arcee heard him and _hmphed_ with embarrassment, confirming Jack's theory.

Jack teased, "Scrap, you must really love Finn the Human from _'Adventure Time…'"_

Ignoring the death-glare from Arcee, Jack sighed, "I hope that Finn and Flame Princess get back together someday…"

Arcee rolled her shining eyes and shook her head, _"Again_ with the fragging cartoons…"

He looked pointedly at his beloved Sparkmate and continued, "Laugh if you want, but I always thought those two were kind of similar to us…you know, as a couple. We were born worlds apart but in spite of all our differences we still managed to fall in love. Not only that, but like them it wasn't easy for us whenever we tried to… _interact."_

Arcee sputtered, _"J-Jack!"_

He smiled broadly, "At least in the beginning. We got a _lot_ better."

As Jack reclined in the waters, Arcee softly murmured to herself, "...and here I always thought we were more like Brad and Jenny Wakeman from _'My Life as a Teenage Robot…'"_

" _WHAT…?!"_

Not quite sure he had heard correctly, Jack suddenly reared up and stared incredulously at Arcee. She smiled innocently back at him and casually asked, _"…hmm?"_ He stood motionless for another moment before finally shrugging and laying back into the intoxicating warmth of the waters.

Jack floated in the center of the glowing pool as Arcee sat by the water's edge and closely watched him with adoring eyes. A cool breeze circulated through the open grotto as Arcee silently contemplated recent events.

Looking back she remembered the day when Jack had emerged from the diner in the middle of nowhere. She knew something significant had happened but she never would have suspected he had encountered his long-lost father. After he shared everything with her, he then shyly apologized for his behavior and promised he would spend the rest of their lives showing her precisely how much he loved and needed her. She responded that she was just thankful that he was okay and that they had made it through the storm together. Jack in turn had tirelessly spent the entire weekend proving to Arcee he was a man of his word.

Arcee shuddered with delight at the memories.

Ever since that fateful day, Jack had been himself again. More than that, he was completely at peace…more so than she had ever known him to be. His erratic moodiness had all but disappeared. The uncomfortable tension between them was gone, as if it had never existed. Jack smiled freely and often now, and the joy that Arcee felt _sang_ through her spark.

Jack suddenly groaned in pleasure from the soothing sensation of the warm waters surrounding him. Arcee chuckled bemusedly and asked, "I'm starting to feel like a third wheel, here. Should I give you and the hot spring some _privacy,_ Jack…?"

He smiled as he opened his luminous eyes and gazed at his beloved Sparkmate. Jack murmured, "I wish you could join me in here, Arcee. It's too bad that water and electricity don't mix, y'know?"

A strange look appeared on Arcee's face and she suddenly stood, abruptly walking away from Jack.

Jack mentally kicked himself, worrying that he had inadvertently hurt her feelings. He opened his mouth to apologize when Arcee suddenly turned on her heel and ran at full speed towards him. Jack flinched, waiting for the inevitable impact.

Arcee leapt high into the air and for just an instant her lithe form was perfectly silhouetted against the full moon visible through the opening in the cavern's ceiling. Time seemed to stop and Jack's mouth grew dry at the sight. He was certain that he had never seen a more beautiful eclipse in his _life._

In the blink of an eye Arcee transformed into her smaller techno-organic body and knifed into the water with barely a ripple.

Moments passed. When the waters had completely stilled and she still hadn't emerged, Jack began to worry. He looked around frantically but saw nothing. Finally his frayed nerves snapped and he cried, _"ARCEE?!"_

Without warning Arcee broke the calm surface of the waters, creating a brief but spectacular geyser. Jack sputtered and coughed as he tried to clear his vision. The waters were still churning violently when his sight finally returned.

Arcee smirked knowingly as she floated mere inches away from Jack. She wrapped her strong arms around him and pulled him towards her, pressing her body close against his. Huskily she said, "Who _says_ I can't enjoy this with you, Jack? Remember, this new body of mine is perfectly _seamless…_ nothing gets inside unless I _want_ it to."

Jack blushed furiously at Arcee's words and stammered, "You…you're not wearing a _swimsuit…"_

Arcee grinned, "Neither are _you."_

The already heated waters quickly grew even hotter when suddenly a familiar buzz interrupted.

Arcee snarled as she activated her com-link, "I swear, one of these millennia I'm going to _kill_ him."

Jack nodded, "It's like he's got this sixth sense and knows when we're just about to-"

" _FRAG IT ALL, BULKHEAD! I NEEDED THAT!"_

Arcee sighed as she reluctantly emerged from the pool, "And hello to you _too,_ Ratchet."

" _WHAT? Oh…sorry, Arcee. My apologies, I'm having a…_ bulky _problem on this end."_

She chuckled, "I can _tell._ Please say hello to everyone."

Ratchet gruffly answered, _"If I must. Anyway, it's time for your weekly Energon shipment."_

"I figured as much. Ready when you are, Ratchet."

Jack quickly finished toweling himself dry and put his clothes back on. Nearby the space-bridge briefly flared into existence and the small container of Energon flasks appeared.

" _Still don't have a clue why you're requesting these shipments in such tiny portions…"_

Jack tried not to laugh out loud as Arcee smirked and answered, "Just watching my figure, Ratchet. _You_ know how it is."

Ratchet sputtered, _"I most certainly do NOT! What do you think I am, one of those skinny models on 'The Bold and the Beautiful?!'"_

Jack couldn't contain himself and loud, boisterous laughter suddenly burst forth.

" _Arcee, please inform Jack that if he breathes a word of this to ANYONE…"_

Jack wiped his eyes and said, "My lips are _sealed,_ Ratchet."

In the background Bulkhead snorted uproariously, _"Not mine! I don't even HAVE lips!"_

Ratchet replied, _"Maybe not, but just remember I can always delete your memory files if I have to."_

" _Uhh…sorry, Ratchet."_

" _That's what I thought. Anyway…have you had any problems lately, Arcee?"_

"Everything's purring like a _kitten."_

" _Glad to hear it, whatever it is you said. At least you finally listened to my advice and are taking better care of yourself."_

Arcee rolled her eyes and answered sarcastically, "It's all thanks to you, Ratchet. Whatever would we do _without_ you…?"

Silence was Arcee's only answer.

Her eyes narrowed, "Ratchet…? Are you _there?"_

Arcee began to wonder if her com-link had malfunctioned when she finally heard Ratchet murmur, _"THAT'S strange…"_

"What _is_ it, Ratchet?"

" _I'm…I'm not sure. It appears the scanner is malfunctioning…"_

"Why do you say that?"

" _I don't understand why I've never noticed this before. The scanner is showing Jack's distinctively human bioelectric life-sign, but for some reason it's giving a very unusual reading…almost as if it were a - a - "_

"Spit it _out,_ Ratchet!"

"… _a Cybertronian spark signature!"_

Arcee's eyes widened and she nervously stammered, "R-really? _Scrap,_ Ratchet…th-that is one _major_ malfunction…"

Ratchet ignored the comment and continued, _"Not only that, but YOUR spark signature seems to be emitting an echo reading!"_

"Sorry, a _what…?"_

"… _an echo reading of your spark, Arcee. A double spark signature! It's…it's almost as if you have TWO sparks!"_

Jack and Arcee suddenly stared at one another in shocked, wide-eyed realization. Their mouths dropped.

Oblivious, Ratchet continued to grouse, _"Well, that settles it! This piece of scrap is BROKEN! Blast this antiquated Earth technology, it's always giving me nothing but problems! Oh, what I wouldn't GIVE for a decent Cybertronian scanning apparatus…!"_

Barely audible, Arcee whispered, "Ratchet…? We - _uhm_ \- we'll get _back_ to you."

" _What? Ah, of course. You want to be alone. Have a good night, you two."_

"Th-thanks, Ratchet."

" _Oh, and Arcee…? Try not to get yourselves into any trouble!"_


	12. Chapter 12 - A NEW SPARK

" _Y-you don't think…?"_

Arcee and Jack Darby stared wide-eyed at one another for several tense seconds. Finally, Jack stood to his feet and declared dramatically, "There's only one way to find out for sure."

He strode purposefully over to his bag and crouched, opening its zipper as he began to sift through his personal effects. After a few minutes he stopped rummaging and started to remove its contents, setting them aside as he continued his search. Jack rapidly grew impatient in his quest. In a huff he tossed his harmonica over his shoulder, quickly followed by Miko's damaged phone. As an afterthought he commented, "Umm…remind me the next time we're in town to stop somewhere and buy Miko a new phone…"

Finally Jack shouted victoriously, _"YES!"_

Under the soft illumination of a moonbeam he held aloft a small box and brandished it reverently, almost as if it were a sacred relic. For an instant Arcee gazed upon its grandeur and imagined the sound of an angelic choir singing from on high.

Suddenly unimpressed with the absurdity of it all, Arcee finally asked, "What _is_ it?"

Jack grinned triumphantly, "This…? _This,_ Arcee, is a _pregnancy test."_

Blinking with surprise she asked, _"Wh-what?_ When did you get _that?"_

"I picked it up at _months_ ago at one of our rest stops, Arcee."

"But-but _why…?_ What made you think of getting such a thing?"

He answered sheepishly, "I…I guess I never forgot what Optimus Prime told us about the prophecy of the Thirteen. _You_ know…about how we were destined to be the parents of a new race of beings." He shrugged, "I just wanted to be _prepared,_ that's all."

Her eyes twinkling adoringly, Arcee chuckled, "My little Sparkmate…always the responsible one."

She slowly rose to her feet and said, "Okay, then! Sooo…how do we _use_ it?"

Jack's confident eyes suddenly twitched. He squeaked nervously in a panicked, high-pitched voice, "I-I don't _know!"_

Arcee shook her head and sighed, _"Men…"_

She took the box from Jack and began to scan the directions. Suddenly her eyes widened and she looked incredulously at Jack, then back at the test again. Finally Arcee loudly demanded, _"I'm supposed to do WHAT with this thing?!"_

Utter confusion filled Jack's expression.

Arcee rolled her shining eyes in exasperation but she attempted to patiently explain, "Jack, listen…you know that I love you with all my spark and I appreciate everything you do."

Jack asked suspiciously, _"But…?"_

"…but I'm afraid this pregnancy test simply won't work."

"Why not, Arcee?"

"Because…even though the Matrix added a new transformation to my T-Cog, evidently it wasn't necessary to include within my techno-organic body a system capable of processing human foodstuffs and breaking it down into both useful components and waste material."

"Y-you _mean…?"_

Arcee nodded somberly, "I can't pee on the stick."

Jack fell onto his backside with a frustrated huff.

"Well, _scrap._ So how in the world are we supposed to find out for sure?"

Arcee sat next to Jack and considered thoughtfully. Finally she offered, "Well, we could always let Ratchet in on our little secret…maybe allow him to examine me?"

Jack pondered it for a moment and eventually sighed, "It's not that I don't trust Ratchet, but honestly I'm nervous about _anybody_ knowing about this."

"Why?"

"Think about it, Arcee…if we _are_ pregnant, this child is the first hybrid Human-Cybertronian in the entire _universe._ Our baby will be monumentally important to the future of both Earth and Cybertron, and if word somehow slipped out and got to the wrong audio sensors…?"

Arcee shivered, "…I don't even want to _think_ about it."

Jack continued, "Not to mention the fact that the Matrix of Leadership still exists and that it's already been passed to a lowly human…sorry, but I don't want any Decepticons to come gunning for me and somehow my family gets caught in the crossfire."

Her voice trembling uncharacteristically, Arcee whispered, "Wh-what are we going to _do,_ Jack…?"

Jack shook his head uncertainly, "I don't know, Arcee. I just…no matter what we do or how careful we are, revealing one secret will inevitably end up exposing the other."

Arcee nodded with newfound determination, "Then that _settles_ it. We keep things a secret...for as long as we possibly can. When the time is _right,_ the truth will come out…." She reached out and gripped his hand. "…and we'll be _ready_ when it does."

Jack sighed, "Which brings us back to square one. How are we supposed to find out by ourselves, Arcee? How will we ever know for certain?"

The following silence was deafening.

Jack couldn't help but jump slightly when Arcee shattered the quiet, "Jack, remember when I told you how I have a sense of my new body's inner workings?"

"Yeah…?"

Arcee smiled, "Well, if I _am_ carrying a new life inside my body, I should be able to just take a look and tell if anything is different in there. If there have been any recent…additions to the place, I should be able to spot them fairly quickly."

"Makes sense, but _how…?"_

"Ratchet said he detected _two_ distinct spark signatures on his scanner. That would be as good a place as any to start. I can do an internal scan of my spark chamber and go from there."

Jack nervously asked, "Will…will it be dangerous for you?"

Arcee slowly shook her head, "I don't believe so. It's basically like performing an internal diagnostic scan…but I _will_ admit I've never done anything like this before, let alone with this new body."

Jack rolled his eyes, "Thanks, Arcee. That makes me feel _so_ much calmer..."

Arcee leaned close to her Sparkmate and gently cupped his face between her hands. Softly she whispered reassuringly, "I'll be careful, Jack…I _promise."_

Jack kissed her suddenly with a fervent desperation. It was a _good_ kiss. They both gasped for air when it finally ended.

"You _better."_

She smirked, _"Ooh,_ I love it when you act all _macho."_

Arcee slowly lay back onto the cool ground and shivered slightly. She looked up at Jack and said, "I'll need to go into rest mode before I can get started. Might as well get comfortable, right?"

Jack knew Arcee was trying very hard not to show how afraid she was. Instinctively he reached out and held her hand.

"Don't worry, Arcee…I'm not going _anywhere._ I'll be right here when you wake up."

She smiled, "You _better._ I _love_ you, Jack."

"I love _you,_ Arcee."

They shared a final brief kiss before Arcee closed her shining eyes. She breathed deeply and quietly entered her rest cycle.

The real world disappeared in a burst of static and Arcee suddenly found herself floating in a dark void. At first the only light she could see emanated from her virtual form, identical in appearance to her physical body. However her perceptions soon adjusted and she quickly became aware of the digitized realm surrounding her, the holographic manifestation of her inner workings. The world around her was aglow with a cool blue light. Bright flashing pulses would strobe intermittently, making everything more alive. She quickly got her bearings and cautiously began to move about.

Arcee found her spark chamber within mere moments of beginning her quest. She paused momentarily and regarded the chamber that housed her innermost being. It towered over her in size and she could not help but chuckle at the thought of her own body intimidating her. Summoning the courage she reached out and touched its outer surface. Her spark within seemed to respond to the touch and throbbed rhythmically, reminding Arcee of a human heartbeat. Oddly comforted by the soft vibration, she leaned her virtual body against the chamber and stood motionlessly. Arcee closed her eyes and blocked out all distractions, attempting to detect anything out of the ordinary.

She frowned, not sensing anything more than her own solitary spark. She slowly stepped back before finally turning away and moving on. Arcee could not contain her disappointment and huffed in frustration. She began to wonder if this was all some sort of crazy false alarm.

Slag it all, she had been so _sure!_

Time passed.

Without realizing it Arcee ventured into unfamiliar territory and lost track of where she was. She looked around and became painfully aware of the fact that she was comically and hopelessly lost within her own body.

Arcee wandered around for awhile longer and eventually was forced to come to an abrupt stop. Before her were the digital representations of internal structures wholly unknown to her. Their forms were smooth and rounded, their exterior surface possessing an almost organic texture. She attempted to access their exact location and with a start realized they were physically located in the lower region of her real body.

 _By the AllSpark…so this is what my new plumbing looks like from within…_

In the past Arcee let curiosity get the best of her and had done extensive research into the phenomenon of human sexuality. She was shocked at first but was far from repulsed. After she had overcome her initial surprise, she considered the entire process of reproduction baffling yet fascinating. Truth be told, even before the Matrix had transformed her into a new techno-organic creature Arcee came to realize that she had found it strangely _alluring._

Lost in her private thoughts, Arcee was completely oblivious to a mysterious ghostly illumination that appeared from the darkness behind her. Its light gradually began to grow in intensity and before long Arcee became aware of its presence. The light became brighter and brighter, flooding the entire virtual realm.

Slowly but surely she turned to face the unknown.

…

With a sudden jolt Arcee cried out and returned to the real world.

Her body felt like it weighed hundreds of tons as she attempted to sit upright. She was unaware of a strong pair of hands that gently reached out and helped to steady her as she slowly opened her eyes. She blinked rapidly and tried to focus her blurred vision, only to realize that her eyes were filled to the brim with unshed tears. It was then that she felt her beloved Jack's presence by her side. She chanced taking a brief look at her Sparkmate.

Jack silently watched her, his intense gaze entreating her to say something… _anything._

That one look proved to be Arcee's undoing. Abruptly she loudly cried out and began to sob uncontrollably.

" _Oh, PRIMUS…!"_

She turned away from Jack, refusing to even look at him. He was alarmed and reached out to comfort her but she quickly held up her hand, holding him at arm's length and preventing any direct physical contact.

Jack felt completely helpless, not knowing what to say or do. He assumed the worst had happened, and that awful thought mercilessly squeezed at his stricken heart. He blinked back his own burning tears and tried to control his ragged breathing, not wanting to completely lose control of his emotions.

Arcee spoke barely above a whisper when she finally found her voice.

" _Pl-please…j-just promise me one thing, Jack..."_

Jack wiped at his eyes, determined to be strong for the woman he loved more than his own life.

" _Anything."_

Arcee slowly turned to face him and looked deeply into his troubled eyes, great glittering tears streaming from her own.

"Promise me you won't get _too_ goofy when I tell you that you're going to be a Daddy…"

Jack blinked uncertainly, hesitating only for another instant before he reared his head back and let loose with a joyous shout worthy of any caveman. He leapt to his feet and began to dance about the grotto, hooting and hollering as Arcee chuckled fondly and shook her head.

"Yep, that's _exactly_ what I meant…just like _that."_

Arcee gazed down at her belly and lovingly rested her hand there. She sighed, "Oh, you poor child…your father is going to be an absolute loon, you know?"

Jack heard Arcee refer to him as a _father_ and instantly reined it in. He happily sprinted over to Arcee and suddenly swept her up in a huge hug, only to let go with an alarmed cry. Jack began to apologize profusely, "Oh, God! I'm so sorry, Arcee! D-did I hurt you? Did I squeeze you too tightly?! Scrap, what have I _done?!"_

She giggled her beautiful laugh, the sound of her musical titter echoing all around them.

"Relax, Smooth Operator…don't worry. I'm not going to break or anything, okay?"

Jack's eyes were still frantic. Arcee reached out and gently pulled him closer to her. With a firm but loving edge to her voice, she repeated, _"Okay?"_

In a tiny voice Jack replied, "O-okay. _Whoo,_ I'd better sit down."

Arcee chuckled as she helped Jack find his place by her side.

Nervously he asked, "C-can I…?"

Arcee immediately understood and took Jack's hand in her own and rested them both on top of her belly. She smirked, "You realize that it's still too early for us to feel anything."

"I know, I just…I just wanted to… _you_ know."

She smiled, "I do."

They sat quietly for awhile, basking in the sheer happiness of the moment.

Almost timidly Jack asked, "So…what did you see?"

Arcee smiled shyly, "Would you like to take a little peek, Jack?"

Startled, he replied, "I…y-you…w-we can _do_ that…?"

"Do you remember when I told you about being able to share our innermost memories through the power of our partial bond as Sparkmates?"

"Y-yes."

Arcee smiled, "If we both focus at the same time on a strong emotional memory, we should be able to share that moment and experience it together. I think it's a safe assumption that this particular memory qualifies. Would you like to try?"

Jack nodded hesitantly. He hated the fact that the only thing he had been able to share with his Sparkmate was the wretched memory of his abusive father abandoning him and his Mother. He was anxious but the thought of replacing the memory of that terrible night with something good and pure was _irresistible._

They nervously leaned in close to one another and their brows touched.

Arcee whispered softly, "Take a deep breath and relax. I'll do the rest."

He did so and they both instinctively closed their eyes.

Unseen, the jewel in the center of Arcee's forehead began to glow softly. Jack felt the ghostly fingertips of Arcee's spark reaching out to him. With a flash their minds touched and they were both catapulted into the memory.

Toegether, the Sparkmates watched the moment replay itself as Arcee slowly turned to see another spark miraculously shining within her. It was a new spark…completely innocent and untouched by the hardships of life. They saw Arcee reach out and touch the new spark, feeling nothing but the unconditional love and trust of a child….their child…their _miracle._

Reluctantly they returned to reality. Jack and Arcee gazed into one another's shining eyes and without saying a word they embraced, holding one another close and never wanting to let go.

Jack pulled back and got down on his knees. Arcee looked at him quizzically as he crouched low before resting his cheek against her belly. She gently ran her fingers through his long hair as he began to whisper soothingly to their child.

"I _promise_ I will be a good Daddy to you."

Jack glanced up into Arcee's eyes with a knowing look and continued.

"I promise that I will never, _ever_ leave you."

Jack's eyes welled up as he struggled with the words.

"And…and I _s-swear…"_

His voice broke but with a deep shuddering breath he tried again.

"…I swear on my _life,_ I will _always_ love and treasure you _both_ with all my heart."

Arcee gave up trying to hold back the tears that fell down her cheeks. She smiled and protectively wrapped her strong arms around Jack.

"My sweet, sweet love…don't you know already we won't ever have to worry about that? We're _Sparkmates,_ Jack…now and forever."

Jack thoughtfully added, "And baby makes three, Arcee. We're not just Sparkmates, either...we're a _family,_ now…"

Arcee nodded, "…and family always sticks _together."_

Jack murmured, "For better or worse…richer or poorer…"

Arcee grinned, "Are you trying to _tell_ me something, Mister Darby?"

They stared at one another with eyes full of love. They both knew exactly what Jack was saying, and neither one of them wanted to shy away from it.

Jack smiled and whispered, _"One_ day, Arcee."

She nodded and replied, "I think…I think it's time for you and me to go _home."_

Jack hung his head low and for a second Arcee worried that she might have somehow hurt his feelings. He suddenly looked up and grinned excitedly, "I was _hoping_ you'd say that, Arcee!"

She laughed, "Oh, thank Primus! I thought it was just _me!_ Did you know I've actually started missing Ratchet?! We haven't seen the others in six months…!"

Jack was astonished and exclaimed, "Six _months?!_ Scrap, has it been half a year, _already?"_

Arcee teased, "You getting tired of me already, Darby?"

Jack grinned, "Not _likely,_ 'Cee!"

Arcee stopped and smiled wistfully at Jack's rare use of the same nickname that Cliffjumper used to refer to her. She liked the sound of it.

Suddenly she exclaimed, "Oh, scrap!"

"What is it, Arcee?"

"H-how long has it been since we last called your Mother…?"

Jack's face became ashen as he realized.

"…about a month."

Without another word he scrambled for his bag and pulled out his phone. He quickly dialed the number and waited for June to pick up.

He didn't have long to wait.

" _M-Mom!_ Hu-how _are_ you? Oh, thank God! Y-yeah, we…we...um, Mom…? Mom, s-settle down, okay…? Y-yes, ma'am…I _know_ we let the time slip up…y-yes, ma'am…I-I mean no, ma'am…w-we're actually on our way home now. Yes, ma'am. Eight o'clock tomorrow evening…sharp. Yes, ma'am. I…I love you, too. G'bye."

Jack ended the call and gasped as if he had just run a marathon.

Arcee asked, "Is she mad…?"

"You might say she's a little bit miffed."

"That doesn't sound so bad."

Jack chuckled mirthlessly, "Keep in mind that Mom being miffed is about the same thing as Predaking in a killing rage."

Arcee winced, _"Ouch."_

"Yeah, _ouch._ I blame _you,_ naturally."

Arcee started, _"Me?_ What'd _I_ do…?"

Jack's eyes had a wicked gleam as he took her in his arms and smiled, "Well, you _did_ 'distract' me all those times! I mean, there I was...doing my own thing, minding my own business. Next thing I knew, I was hanging upside down and you were french kissing me under a waterfall! I almost drowned, Arcee! Between those kinds of shenanigans and all the lame rest stops that you were always begging me to stop at…"

Arcee playfully smacked Jack and laughed, "Ohh, no! I don't _think_ so! You're not pinning this on _me,_ Jackson Darby! That waterfall was _your_ idea! You were all, 'Let's be like Spidey and Mary Jane from that scene in the movie!' I _tried_ to stop you, but did you listen…? _No!_ Of _course_ you almost drowned! You were hanging upside-down! And while we're at it, who even _says_ 'shenanigans' anymore? Seriously, Jack…is that even a real word?!"

"Arcee…?"

"Yes, Jack?"

"Please stop talking and _kiss_ me already."

They kissed, the sparks between them still electrifying.

After a seeming eternity of intense necking, the Sparkmates pulled back and smiled at one another.

Jack sighed, "We're not too far from Nevada. If we get started early tomorrow morning, we should get back home in plenty of time."

Arcee winked slyly, "Do you think we'll still have time to stop by that _waterfall…?"_

Jack paused and quickly did some mental calculations. He grinned.

"…just barely. You're a bad influence on me, Arcee. Whatever am I going to do with you?"

"Live happily after, I hope."

Jack shook his head thoughtfully, "Wow…six months… you don't think they're going to make a big deal out of this, do you?"

"What, you mean like everyone getting together and throwing us a party or some craziness like that? Nahhh…"

"I love you, Arcee."

"I love you too, Jack."

Together they whispered as one, "…and we love _you,_ baby. See you soon."

 **To Be Concluded…**


	13. Chapter 13 - ENOUGH FOR ME

" _H-hello…?"_

Arcee opened her eyes and spoke softly, deliberately keeping her hesitant voice low enough as to not wake her slumbering family. In the open expanse atop their secret mountaintop retreat, even faint sounds could easily be heard. Jack and Orion both desperately needed their rest and she attempted to be as quiet as possible, but this was something she couldn't put off any longer.

She took a deep breath and began, "I've…I've never done this before. To be perfectly honest it feels a little _weird,_ but after everything that's happened I decided why _not?_ I mean, it's been on my mind for awhile now. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it, and if I don't…if I don't try and _talk_ about this, I'm going to go crazy."

"I guess you could say it all started when I _died."_

A low chuckle escaped Arcee's lips. There was no humor to the sound, only a distinctive edge of irony.

"A little something like dying can really have a serious impact on a 'Bot. Not to be too flippant about it, but death has transformed how I look at life. I'm not the same as I once was. Before, I thought I had all the answers. I knew what I knew and that was enough for me, right?"

She lowered her head as she murmured, "All of that changed on the day the Fallen _killed_ me."

Arcee's hand rested against her chest. She trembled as the painful memories bubbled to the surface and she mentally relived the nightmarish experience.

"It…it still hurts. I can feel the heat from his Requiem Blaster…burning through my armor like it wasn't even _there_ …m-my chest, exploding…my-my spark chamber…g-gone, just like that…"

A single tear slid down her silver cheek.

"… _scrap…"_

Almost angrily she wiped the glistening teardrop from her face. Her glowing eyes continued to shimmer with unshed tears.

"S-sorry, this didn't used to bother me. I've been a warrior for far longer than I care to think about, but when your entire _planet_ is being ripped apart by a stupid civil war…" Arcee sighed almost imperceptibly, her tears beginning to well again. This time she didn't even bother to wipe them away.

She sighed again and continued, "…death and horror had become commonplace on Cybertron. It happened every single _day._ I remember at the Battle of Tyger Pax when we managed to beat the odds and launched the AllSpark into deep space, we kept it out of Decepticon hands but still paid a terrible price. Megatron was so enraged that he tore open Bumblebee's throat and destroyed his voice box, leaving him for dead. 'Bee was a survivor, though. He got himself patched up and didn't waste any time getting back in the fight. See? You either dealt with it or you died, yeah? So, I dealt with it. I made myself not feel anything and I survived. I mean, that's the way it was for me anyway…until my first partner was _butchered_ right in front of my eyes."

Her hands suddenly clenched into fists. The hated visage of her arch enemy filled her mind's eye.

"When…when Airachnid killed Tailgate, everything changed. As I watched the Energon pouring… _gushing_ from his wounds…" Arcee sniffed, "…th-the jerking of his body as it struggled to hold onto life…the light in his optics flickering before they went completely _dark…"_

Arcee's wavering voice caught, the raw emotion suddenly too much for her to handle. She closed her eyes and several moments passed before she was able to go on.

"…as I watched my partner - my _friend_ \- die, I suddenly realized that death would one day come for _me."_

She slowly opened her troubled eyes again. Her abject helplessness at the hands of Airachnid and not being able to prevent Tailgate's death still haunted her.

"The Autobots - Bumblebee and Cliffjumper - managed to rescue me at the last instant. At least…at least that's what they thought at the time. I couldn't bear to tell them that they were already too late. All that fear had completely _consumed_ me. My mind was paralyzed and I became catatonic…useless to myself, to my comrades and to the Autobot cause. I don't know how long I remained in that pathetic state. All I know is that when I finally came back to my senses, things had gotten much worse."

A low whimper from behind her interrupted Arcee's train of thought. She turned to see little Orion snuffle and burble incoherently in his sleep as a bad dream troubled him. Jack remained in a deep slumber but his strong arm instinctively reached out and gently pulled Orion close to his chest, immediately comforting the tiny child. Within moments, Orion was once again fast asleep.

Arcee smiled, reminded of just how much her precious family meant to her. Not wanting to wake her beloved Sparkmate or their child, she waited for several minutes before continuing.

"After losing the AllSpark, the Decepticons became desperate. Without a means of creating additional warriors to bolster his ranks, Megatron began to delve into unholy forces that should have been left alone. He turned his designs toward _Dark Energon_ …the blood of Unicron."

She shook her head violently, attempting to quell the merciless barrage of memories.

"It was like it all happened overnight…the Decepticons launched a full-scale assault on Iacon, our leader Sentinel Prime was taken prisoner and ultimately murdered, and Megatron poisoned the entire planet with Dark Energon. All hope seemed _lost."_

Arcee paused for a moment in her confession. Shame and self-hatred briefly gnawed at her spark.

"I…I couldn't take it anymore and I _ran."_ Somehow I managed to escape with my life and made it to the far side of Cybertron, finding some small solitude from the war. I might have remained there to this day…"

A tiny smile appeared on Arcee's beautiful face.

"…but then I heard the words of _Optimus Prime."_

"I will never forget the day his strong voice came through on all secure channels and frequencies. He was sending out word to all surviving Autobots to tell us about the _Ark_ and the imminent exodus from Cybertron. He knew that everyone wouldn't make it to the Ark in time, but Optimus wanted to reassure those who were forced to remain behind. He gave us the hope to survive that we so desperately needed, until the day that he returned home."

" _ **Although this appears to be our darkest hour, always remember the light. It will illuminate our paths and guide us through these perilous times. We must**_ **all** _ **believe in the promise of a brighter tomorrow. I swear upon my spark that one day, Cybertron**_ **will** _ **live again."**_

Arcee's smile grew, remembering the shining hope that had imbued her very being. There had been no hesitation when she stood to her feet and promptly made her way back into the fight against the Decepticons. Many long and arduous years passed before she had been finally taken prisoner alongside Cliffjumper, who was destined to become her new partner. Together they escaped Cybertron and made it to Earth where Optimus Prime and the other Autobots now made their final stand.

"I still can't believe all that's happened since then. The Decepticons were defeated, Cybertron was restored and now we have a new Prime…my _Jack."_

Arcee grinned broadly, the mere mention of her Sparkmate's name filling her with a flood of pure joy.

"Jack is _amazing._ I never would have imagined falling in love with a human, let alone becoming _Sparkmates_ with one."

She chuckled, "Saying that Jack has a strong sense of responsibility would be a _huge_ understatement. When the spark of Optimus appeared before us years ago, Jack didn't shrink from the responsibility of becoming the new Prime. He didn't even _hesitate._ Even now, I have to wonder exactly when Optimus began to view Jack as his successor. I mean, he must have been thinking about it fairly early on, especially considering that he trusted Jack to carry the _Key of Vector Sigma."_

"Jack didn't disappoint. If anything he quickly overcame any lingering doubts harbored by the Autobots that a mere _human_ could possibly lead them, and then he _exceeded_ everyone's expectations."

Arcee's expression suddenly became bittersweet as she murmured, "Never _once_ did Jack give up, no matter how many horrors he had experienced. I think that might be one of the main reasons the Fallen forced him to make that terrible choice between saving me or Orion. He was envious of Jack and _that_ was why that monster killed me."

"It all comes back to that, doesn't it? I… _died._ I can't begin to even imagine what it must have been like for Jack. I can only remember an endless darkness. I felt nothing as my spark passed into the next plane and began to drift within the realm of the AllSpark…"

Arcee slowly smiled, "…but then I slowly became aware of…something. That was when I saw it: _the light._ Somehow it…it calmed the maelstrom of the Sea of Sparks and then guided Jack right to my lost spark. Before he had a chance to do anything more, the light suddenly became blindingly bright and in a flash my spark was restored to my body. Next thing I knew, I was opening my eyes and I was reunited with Jack."

"No one seems to know exactly what happened. Ratchet and Knock Out have wracked their neural processors attempting to put the pieces of this mystery together, but they both admit there is simply no way to explain it."

"Jack has always believed in the existence of a being greater than himself…a being that he refers to as his heavenly Father." She sighed, "Jack recently confided in me that my death had shattered his faith. I will always feel partly responsible for that, but Jack has assured me that I shouldn't worry and that everything is okay. In fact, he says that his belief is stronger now than it has ever been."

Arcee looked into the heavens and whispered, "That's why I'm doing this tonight. I've been overwhelmed with questions since my rebirth and I'm looking for answers."

"I've never been what you would call a steadfast believer. Even before the Great War, Cybertronians have never had a close relationship with our creator Primus. When Primus originally created the Thirteen Primes it had been a mad gamble to defeat the Chaos-Bringer Unicron. There was no love in his act of creation, only pure necessity. Primus has always been a distant demigod, never speaking more than a handful of words to those of us who call ourselves his children."

Anger flashed in Arcee's eyes. She struggled to reign in her emotions and not wake her family.

"Isn't there something _more?_ What _am_ I? I refuse to believe that I was created as nothing more than a mere weapon of war! I _know_ there's more to life…I've _seen_ it!"

Arcee turned to lovingly regard Jack and Orion.

"I see it every time I look into my child's eyes…in _Jack's_ eyes. I see the love we share for one another, and in that love I see a _world_ of possibilities."

"According to the Covenant of Primus, Primus and Unicron were both created by a being from beyond time known only as the _One._ Not much is known about the One…practically _nothing,_ as a matter of fact. You would think that Primus would want his children to know something _that_ monumentally important."

Arcee paused for a moment, thoughtfully considering her next words.

"Is…is it possible that the One and Jack's God are the same being? Would that make Primus and Unicron… _angels,_ of a sort? Could Jack have been right about me, after all this time? Am I some kind of…of _second generation_ angelic being?"

Arcee shook her head and chuckled to herself, "Get a grip, Arcee…now that _is_ crazy!"

She looked towards the stars again and smiled, "I still don't know what to believe. I don't know if I ever _will._ Still, I can't deny any longer that there is something - some _one_ \- out there, bigger and greater than all of us…someone who actually cares about what happens to us. You know what? It's a very _comforting_ thought."

Arcee closed her eyes and thought back to the moment in the realm of the AllSpark when Jack was guided by the mysterious pillar of light to her lost spark. She was only partially aware of what was happening but she saw _something_ in that light, something she cannot fully remember or put into words. She was certain only of how she had felt when the light enveloped her like a comforting embrace.

She had felt safe… _loved._

Arcee slowly stood to her feet and breathed deeply.

"I may not yet understand everything that happened, but I think I finally grasp something that Jack has known all along...something he's been trying to tell me for _years._ Sometimes you just have to admit that you don't _have_ all the answers. Sometimes, the only thing you can do is to have _faith."_

She fixed her gaze upon the distant horizon, smiling at the coming sunrise.

"I have absolutely no idea what lies before us on this winding road of life. Raf and Miko are getting married in less than a month. Isn't that _crazy?_ Beyond that…who knows? All I know for certain is this: our lives are not determined by who and what we are, but instead by the choices we make in life."

Arcee smiled contentedly, "As for myself, I choose to follow my Sparkmate. I choose…to _believe."_

 **THE END**

Stay tuned for the Wedding of the Year!

 **Disclaimer: This has been a work of fanfiction. I do not own or profit from these characters or this franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Honest!**


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